The National Prayer Breakfast, an annual event first held in 1953, is traditionally a nonpartisan event that draws thousands of people from a variety of faith traditions, including diplomats, business-people and politicians. Every president since Dwight Eisenhower has addressed the breakfast.

The co-chairs this year were Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among the members of Congress in attendance. In picture above, you can find: Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla., (from left) President Trump and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., pray during the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday in Washington.

In his speech to the breakfast, Trump promoted his administration’s record in matters of faith, such as his effort to secure the freedom of Andrew Brunson, an evangelical pastor who spent two years in a Turkish prison. Turning to Brunson, who was in the audience, Trump took credit for his release in October 2018.

“He was there for a long time before I got there,” Trump claimed. “I said, ‘You gotta let him out.’ And they let you out.”

Trump got the loudest applause in response to a line suggesting his opposition to abortion, a theme he also highlighted in his State of the Union speech two days earlier:

“We must build a culture that cherishes dignity and sanctity of innocent human life,” Trump said. “All children, born and unborn, are made in the holy image of God. Every life is sacred, and every soul is a precious gift from heaven.”

Trump went on to quote scripture, saying: “As the Lord says in Jeremiah, ‘before I formed you in the womb, I knew you –before you were born, I set you apart.’”

The president’s comments come as multiple states across the nation have passed or are looking to pass legislation that would loosen restrictions for third-trimester abortions—something he vehemently opposes.

While New York celebrates legalizing abortion until birth – during his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Trump condemned those laws.

“There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days,” Trump said Tuesday, referring to efforts in Virginia and the newly-passed law in New York making it legal to abort a fetus up until birth. “Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments from birth.”

“These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world.” 

Source: npr.org