Thursday morning, President Trump addressed the 67th annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. Every president since Dwight Eisenhower has spoken at this annual bipartisan event. This year’s prayer breakfast was co-chaired by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and James Lankford (R-OK).

The president’s speech was an inspiring affirmation of the power of faith and the deep religious heritage of this country. I will share a few excerpts below. But there was one particular section of his remarks that really jumped out at me.

Noting that he had honored three D-Day veterans in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Trump said:

“On D-Day, all those warriors set out on their mission of liberation. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt led our nation in prayer. In a national radio address, President Roosevelt began with these solemn words: ‘Almighty God, our sons, the pride of our nation, on this day have set upon a mighty endeavor: A struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion and our civilization.’

"Since the founding of our nation, many of our greatest strides – from gaining our independence to abolition, from civil rights to extending the vote to women – have been led by people of faith and started in prayer. When we open our hearts to faith, we fill our hearts with love.

"Many of the people in this room lead and support the charities and faith-based institutions that bring hope to the lives of our citizens, comfort to those in despair and solace to those in grief, aid to those in need and a helping hand to struggling people all around the world.”

It occurred to me in that moment that President Trump is teaching the history that our children do not hear in their classrooms. And his statement comes at a time when the left is doing the exact opposite. 

Many so-called “progressives” are waging a war against normalcy and constantly attempting to marginalize people of faith. 

We have seen bakers, florists, photographers, fire chiefs, football coaches, college administrators and high tech executives persecuted by the left and the state for their deeply-held religious views.

Look at the left’s rush to condemn the Covington high school students because they were obviously conservative pro-life Catholics. 

Nominees with traditional Christian beliefs are publicly harassed by left-wing politicians and blocked whenever possible. It happened yet again this week when Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) quizzed Trump judicial nominee Neomi Rao on the definition of “sin.”

Trump Defends Life

Just as he did Tuesday night, President Trump again boldly defended the sanctity of life during his remarks Thursday morning. Here’s what he said:

“As part of our commitment to building a just and loving society, we must build a culture that cherishes the dignity and sanctity of innocent human life. 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. As the Lord says in Jeremiah, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart.’”

President Trump closed his remarks with a call for unity and a call to prayer, saying:

“We are blessed to live in a land of faith where all things are possible… On Tuesday, I asked Americans to choose greatness…  Greatness for our country and to renew our love and loyalty to one another as friends, as citizens, as neighbors, as patriots and as Americans.

"There could no better way to begin this exciting national adventure than the way America has always begun our greatest adventures – by coming together in prayer. So today and every day, let us pray for the future of our country.

"Let us pray for the courage to pursue justice and the wisdom to forge peace. Let us pray for a future where every child has a warm, safe and loving home.

"Let us come together for the good of our people, for the strength of our families, for the safety of our citizens… And let us always give thanks for the miracle of life, the majesty of creation and the grace of Almighty God.”

Virginia’s Very Bad, Awful, Horrible Day

Democrats in Virginia, still reeling from last week’s scandals, got no relief Wednesday when news broke that Attorney General Mark Herring (D) also dressed in blackface in the 1980s. Last week, Herring called for Governor Ralph Northam to resign for the exact same thing.

Wednesday afternoon, the Washington Post editorial board, which endorsed Northam in 2017, demanded his resignation. In the interest of fairness, Mark Herring must go too.

Unfortunately for Virginia Democrats, Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax (D) is also embroiled in scandal. Wednesday, Dr. Vanessa Tyson released a detailed statement describing her charges of sexual assault against Fairfax. The National Organization for Women is now demanding Fairfax’s resignation.

As the saying goes, turnabout is fair play. It seems the Democrat Party of Virginia is the party of racism and misogyny.

The Left’s Ten-Year Plan

Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) yesterday unveiled a rough outline of their “Green New Deal.” It’s a ten-year plan to fundamentally transform the entire American economy. 

Not surprisingly, it comes with a full wish-list of radical ideas, like “upgrading or replacing every building in the United States” — all 140-plus million of them.

It also seeks to get rid of “farting cows and airplanes.” So say goodbye to that ribeye and scrap that anniversary trip to Europe you’ve been saving for. (I wonder what PETA thinks of this plan?) 

And demonstrating that the left-wing concept of “intersectionality” also applies to legislation, this climate change bill even calls for addressing America’s “historic oppression.”   

The central pillar of this left-wing fantasy is a total ban on fossil fuels. We are soooo not ready for that! 

This demand comes as AAA just released the results of a study finding that electric cars lose more than 40% of their range in cold weather. Moreover, electric vehicles currently account for only 1% of all vehicles on the road today. Yet in ten years’ time, AOC would have us all crammed into Smart cars.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) remarked that the “Green New Deal” is reminiscent of the “Soviet five-year plan.” He’s right. And we know how well that turned out. 

Well, at least most of us know. I’m not sure about Markey and Ocasio-Cortez or the 2020 Democrat presidential contenders who have embraced the “Green New Deal.”