President Trump: We come together as one nation blessed to live in freedom and worship in peace
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast.
President Trump hit back against the impeachment trial as "a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people" on Thursday at the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast in his first remarks since being acquitted by the Senate.
Trump held up a newspaper with the headline “Acquitted” in front of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., with applause and laughter from the 3,500 guests gathered from more than 100 countries at the faith-filled event in Washington.
"When they impeach you for nothing...it's not easy," Trump said regarding loving his enemies.
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He began his remarks saying, “I’m working very hard for you I will tell you, and sometimes you don’t make it easy and I certainly don’t make it very easy, and I will continue that tradition if I might this morning."
President Donald Trump holds up a newspaper with the headline that reads "Trump acquitted" during the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast, at the Washington Hilton, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
He praised Republicans, then took a seeming jab at Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. who on Wednesday became the first senator in U.S. history to vote in favor of removing a president from his own party from office.
"I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong," Trump said, and added, in a seeming hit at Pelosi, "nor do I like people who say, 'I pray for you' when they know that that's not so."
“My family, our great country, and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people," Trump continued. "They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation. They know what they are doing is wrong but they put themselves far ahead of our great country."
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of Calif., listens as President Donald Trump speaks at the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast, at the Washington Hilton, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
Pelosi, who was seated near Trump on stage--just two days after she ripped up her copy of his State of the Union speech at its conclusion--focused her remarks on persecuted believers around the world.
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“Let us pray…that we treat everyone with dignity and respect," Pelosi said. "We pray that moral clarity of faith moves us to demand justice for those who are suffering and we pray that commercial interests never blind us to the ongoing human rights struggle fought by so many throughout the world."
Speaking with Trump on his right and Pelosi on his left, this year's special guest speaker, Arthur Brooks, the president of the American Enterprise Institute, urged loving those with whom we disagree.
“Contempt is ripping our country apart," Brooks said. "Love your enemies...and sometimes when it's too hard, ask God to help you fake it."
Trump said he didn't know if he agreed with Brooks, but added he "loved" listening to it.
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"We are in a fight in this country, and around this world...We won’t let that happen," Trump said of religious persecution. "We are going to protect religion. We are going to protect Christianity, our pastors, our rabbis…and all those we respect.”
The event began in 1953 when Billy Graham invited former President Dwight Eisenhower to join lawmakers for a morning meal “in the spirit of Jesus,” and every president since has spoken at the gathering organized by The Fellowship Foundation, a nonprofit that brings leaders together around faith.
Vice President Mike Pence touted Trump and their administration just before Trump took the podium.
"I believe that prayer and faith are the thread that runs through every era of American history," Pence said. "We are a nation of faith...our entire administration, we believe in prayer and rely on the prayers of Americans across this nation every day."
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Trump has made it a practice to open every cabinet meeting with prayer, Pence said.
Pence referenced Trump's State of the Union remarks that were widely celebrated by faith leaders across the nation.
"In America, we don't punish prayer,” Trump said Tuesday night. “We don't tear down crosses. We don't ban symbols of faith. We don't muzzle preachers and pastors. In America, we celebrate faith..."
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Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, slammed Trump for using the breakfast to "pander to his base of evangelical Christian supporters."
She said he used it as a platform "touting policies that grant special privileges to one narrow set of religious views above all others, and misusing the concept of religious freedom to license harm to others – especially women, LGBTQ people, religious minorities and the nonreligious."
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