President Donald Trump joined lawmakers and dignitaries in Washington, D.C., for an early National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, where he delivered solemn remarks centered on the goodness of God and the importance of faith in America’s culture.
“From the earliest days of our republic, faith in God has always been the ultimate source of strength that beats in the heart of our nation,” he said.
The president spoke in Statutory Hall inside the U.S. Capitol.
“Thomas Jefferson himself once attended Sunday services held in the Old House Chamber on the very ground where I stand today,” the president continued. “So there could be nothing more beautiful than for us to gather in this majestic place…and reaffirm that America is and always will be one nation under God.”
The president also heavily emphasized the role faith played in the founding of America.
“At every stage of at the American story our country has drawn hope and courage and inspiration from our trust in the Almighty,” he said.
He referred to inspirational forefathers like John Winthrop, who was responsible for referring to America as a shining city upon a hill, as well as Roger Williams, the man who founded Rhode Island and named the capital city Providence.
President Trump also spoke fondly of President George Washington, who often urged the American people to go to God in prayer.
“And more than two centuries later this morning we heed President Washington’s wisdom and following his mighty footsteps…the stories of legends like Washington, Winthrop, and Williams remind us that without faith in God, there would be no America story,” he added. “Every citizen should be proud of this exceptional heritage.”
The president noted that he had signed an executive order directing the United States to “resume the process of creating a new national park, full of statues of the greatest Americans who ever lived.”
The park will be called the National Garden of American Heroes.
President Trump also reflected on his own faith life, and how it has changed since narrowly surviving an assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, during a campaign speech in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“It changed something in me, I feel,” he said. “I feel even stronger. I believe in God, but I feel much more strongly about it. Something happened.”
