Trump hosts faith leaders for Easter prayer dinner, slams effort to rid America of Christian principles
President Donald Trump participated in a Wednesday evening prayer service and dinner as part of a series of Holy Week events ahead of Easter Sunday this weekend.
Faith leaders of various Christian denominations were present and listened to the president address them about the importance of faith, both in governing and in people's personal lives. Trump also took the moment to tout his recent accomplishments in-line with Christian beliefs, and slammed efforts to move the country away from its Christian foundation.
"This is really — I hope — going to be one of the great Easters ever, because we have something going that I don't think this country has seen in 100 years. And as we gather with family and friends, we'll not forget the true source of our joy and our strength: America has put our trust in God," Trump said during his address to attendees. "It will always be ‘In God We Trust.’ We will never change that."
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"You know there's a movement to change it," Trump continued. "It won't happen. We won't let that happen. Can you imagine a movement to change that?"
Trump also slammed former administrations for failing to stand up for persecuted Christians around the globe, reassuring the crowd of faith leaders in attendance that things would be different under his administration.
"We had nobody fighting for our Christians in other parts of the world, that were being so incredibly destroyed, killed, injured, hurt. But they died, so many died. You wouldn't think that could happen in this time — in this modern time," Trump said.
Trump also remarked about the anti-Christian bias exhibited in the U.S., pointing out to those in attendance that he established a Justice Department task force to root it out. Trump also touted his creation of the White House Faith Office, which replaced the former White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
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"You don't hear about that very much, but there is anti-Christian bias," Trump said.
Trump will continue his Holy Week celebrations with another prayer service tomorrow, on Holy Thursday, which will again include various faith leaders from different Christian denominations and members of the president's staff. The event will include Christian hymns sung by musicians associated with Liberty University, a private Christian university in Virginia.
The White House is also reportedly hosting a Passover event Thursday afternoon, to celebrate the Jewish holiday that began April 12 and ends April 20.
"With God's help we can overcome every challenge, triumph over every evil, and restore the spirit of faith in the United States for generations to come," Trump concluded. "We have a very simple slogan: ‘Make America Great Again,’ and that's exactly what we're doing."
In addition to faith leaders, Patty Morin, whose daughter's death at the hands of an illegal immigrant in 2023 was a major point of contention during the last election, was also present at the Wednesday dinner service. She attended following an emotional press briefing earlier in the day at the White House during which she told her daughter's story.
"Her daughter's looking down on Patty today," Trump noted during the event, adding she's "been through hell."