WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump spoke at the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Capitol Hill on Thursday, sharing how recent incidents strengthened his belief in God. He called on the nation to bring religion and faith back into daily life.
“We have to bring religion back. We have to bring it back much stronger,” Trump told a bipartisan group of lawmakers. “It’s one of the biggest problems that we’ve had over the last fairly long period of time. We have to bring it back.”
Trump referenced Thomas Jefferson attending Sunday services in the old House Chamber, highlighting the importance of gathering for the annual event.
“It is majestic and reaffirms that America is and will always be one nation under God.”
Trump recalled the tragic plane crash near Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29, where 67 people lost their lives.
Such tragedies, Trump said, “should remind us all that we have to make the most out of every single day that we have.”
He mentioned that his faith in God grew stronger following the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, during his presidential campaign in July 2024.
He cited divine intervention.
“God did that,” he said of the moment he turned his head to look at his favorite chart, thus missing the bullet.
“It changed something,” he said. “I believed in God, but I feel, I feel much more strongly about it.”
Before concluding his speech, Trump highlighted the need for lawmakers to make religion “an important factor.”
“It unifies people. It brings people together. Democrats are going to be able to have lunch again and dinner with Republicans,” he said.
“So let’s bring religion back. Let’s bring God back into our lives.”
As the country prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary next year, Trump also said he signed an order to resume the process of creating the “National Garden of American Heroes.”
“Some of you will be on that soon-to-be hallowed ground,” he joked. “It’s the president’s sole opinion, and I’ve given myself a 25-year period.
“I hope that Congress will fully fund this wonderfully unifying project.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) skipped the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol due to a “last-minute schedule change.”
Following the event, Trump delivered another speech at the National Prayer Breakfast held at the Washington Hilton.
He reiterated his call, saying: “We want to bring religion back, stronger, bigger, better than ever before, very important. And this is a good start.”
The president said he would create a brand-new presidential commission on religious liberty.
“It’s going to be a very big deal,” he said.
He condemned the conviction of elderly, pro-life activist Paulette Harlow—whom he recently pardoned— under the previous administration.
Harlow was among the guests. Trump told him, “You enjoy your life.”
Trump also said he would sign an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi “to eradicate anti-Christian bias” inside the federal government.
Additionally, he said he would create a faith office in the White House, which will be led by Rev. Paula White.
The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual event held in Washington, typically on the first Thursday of February. Its origins date back to the 1930s, when Methodist minister Abraham Vereide organized prayer groups among Seattle’s business and civic leaders. After relocating to the nation’s capital, Vereide formed similar groups with members of Congress. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to attend the event.
Eisenhower, who served as the 34th president from 1953 to 1961, was a strong advocate for promoting religious faith in the United States. During his first inaugural address on Jan. 20, 1953, he began his speech with a short prayer that he had written himself. He also started Cabinet meetings with a moment of silent prayer.
Eisenhower maintained a close relationship with the influential American evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, who served as a spiritual adviser to numerous U.S. presidents and frequently visited the Oval Office for decades.
Over the years, the National Prayer Breakfast has grown steadily, becoming a major annual event designed to foster unity, faith, and bipartisan dialogue.
