Reading from prepared remarks, Trump talked about this “sacred week,” when Jesus suffered and gave up his life “for our sake.”
“Three days later, Christ’s followers found the empty tomb,” the president said. “Jesus had defeated darkness and death and promised new life to all of humankind And that’s what we celebrate each year at Easter, as we joyfully proclaim on Sunday, ‘He is risen.’”
Trump continued:
The death and resurrection of Jesus are the essence of the Christian faith. Whether rich or poor, healthy or sick, young or old, or in times of peace or war, Christians everywhere find solace and hope in the knowledge that Christ died for them and that they could be united with him in heaven. And that’s what we want.
The “miracles of Holy Week” led to a transformation, the president said, with countless Americans “moved by Christ’s example to heal the sick, defend their families, lift up their communities, and make our country stronger, better, and greater.”
Then Trump recapped what he called “maybe the best three months ever for a president,” spotlighting a “whole new spirit” in America, which is receiving “a whole new respect.” He touted his administration’s efforts to end anti-Christian bias, support school choice, and “ban men from women’s sports.”
The president said he had visited Yankee Stadium “many years ago” to hear evangelist Billy Graham speak. “You think we have big crowds today,” Trump said. “It was some crowd.” The president thanked Franklin Graham, Billy’s son, for his ministry, saying, “Your father would be very proud of you.”
During his remarks, Trump offered support to “angel mom Patty Morin, who’s been through hell.” In 2023, the Maryland woman’s 37-year-old daughter was raped and murdered by a fugitive from El Salvador. Earlier on Wednesday, Morin appeared at a press briefing, as White House officials tried to shift focus from Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom they mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
Jentezen Franklin: ‘God Is Moving in This Nation Mightily’
Trump, again thanking evangelical Christians for their “unprecedented” support, next introduced Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia. Franklin thanked the president for taking time out of his busy schedule to hold the Easter event.
“We see all that you do, all your family goes through,” the pastor told Trump. “And we’re so thankful God assigned an angel to stand between you and that bullet,” referencing last summer’s failed assassination attempt.
Franklin spoke of Jesus walking into a room of “religious leaders”—his disciples—and “washing the feet, giving dignity and honor to everyone and also washing and cleansing. And that’s what this is all about this week.”
Mentioning Trump’s Easter proclamation, Franklin told the president:
You just don’t understand how God is using you. There’s a movement going on in our churches, Mr. President, and I think this group here can testify. We’ve never had attendance like we’re having. We’re running over. Our buildings are packed. God is moving in this nation mightily, and we’re thankful for that.
To people who are hurting, Franklin said, “You need Jesus. He’s not a religion to us, and we don’t do this for careers. But he bled, and he died, and he rose from the dead to give us all that blessed hope.”
Franklin concluded by praying for a “bubble of protection” over Trump and his family. “Give him wisdom. Give him favor. And let your goodness and your mercy reign in this nation like never before, and we’ll give you the praise.”
, President Trump spoke about “the miracles of Holy Week” and recapped the ways his administration is defending Christians. Franklin Graham, Paula White, and Jentezen Franklin were among the faith leaders who spoke at the event.){kind=link}