Trump contrasted his view of the country’s present situation with how churches were treated during the COVID-19 pandemic. “They always like to say, ‘Trump is a dictator.’ They love that. I’m not a dictator,” he said. “But they were like dictators. They were like the Gestapo. They were arresting people for going to church.”
Referencing the Johnson Amendment, which prevents nonprofit organizations such as churches from endorsing political candidates, Trump said, “We worked hard in getting rid of the Johnson Amendment. It’s gone as far as, you can say anything you want. Now, if you do say something bad about Trump, I will change my mind,” he joked as people laughed, “and I will have your tax-exempt status immediately revoked.”
While the Johnson Amendment has not been repealed, its enforcement has been significantly curtailed.
Trump addressed the situation in Minnesota, where tensions are running high over the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), particularly in regard to the recent deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The president alluded to the recent anti-ICE protest that disrupted services at Cities Church in St. Paul, frightening congregants. He claimed that crime is going down in Minnesota, despite the “lunatics” in the state.
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“Things are happening in our country right now, and we have to get the bad ones out. We have to do it. We can’t let that happen,” said Trump. “And we’re being very tough in law and order and crime.”
Trump said that Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz was “horrible” and called Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey a “horrible fake mayor.”
Pretending to be Frey, Trump sarcastically said, “This is the Constitution of the United States.”
“People don’t want to be mugged,” Trump said in response to that statement. “They don’t want to have a murderer living next door.”
Reactions to Trump’s National Prayer Breakfast Speech
Author and radio host Eric Metaxas commented on Trump’s speech on X. “Didn’t anyone on the President’s team advise him that the National Prayer Breakfast is a prayer breakfast?” asked Metaxas. “Didn’t someone write a speech for him? What’s going on? I think they need to bring me in to help. It’s that bad. I love my country and will serve if called.”
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Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis responded, “Having been there advising and hearing others advise, I can tell you that yes, his team advises. He does not listen. Everyone loves to think ‘if *I* could just tell Trump…’ My friend, it would not make one bit of difference.”
Michael Wear, founder, president and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life, said of the speech, “I’ve attended the National Prayer Breakfast for much of the past two decades. I staffed the President and worked on his speech there for four years.”
“One purpose of the Breakfast in history has been to position presidents and political leaders in such a way that they are humbled—their remarks typically focused on ways they fell short, the nation’s reliance on grace that politics and politicians can’t provide, etc.,” said Wear.
“Not until this president has someone gone to the breakfast to make so much of himself, and so little of God. And he does it every year,” Wear said, contrasting Trump’s posture to when Mother Theresa “lovingly confronted [President Bill Clinton] on the issue of abortion.”
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Tom Buck, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lindale in Lindale, Texas, called for prayer for the president’s salvation. “Pray for President Trump to understand and come to saving faith in the Gospel as taught in Scripture,” he said.
