President Trump posted a video message on Thanksgiving day in which he emphasizes the blessings of God that Americans particularly enjoy, repeatedly stressing God’s beneficence in guiding the country, the role America’s heroes play in keeping us “safe, strong, and free,” and the “incredible prosperity” American citizens enjoy.
“From the very beginning of our nation, Americans have come together to remember our blessings and give thanks to God,” he states in a video posted on social media Thursday.
“This Thanksgiving we remember more than 200,000 brave Americans who are currently serving overseas,” he continues. “We thank God for every patriot who serves our nation in uniform. We also pause to pray for all of those who have suffered loss this year, especially survivors and families of the innocent Americans who were victims of the horrific and hateful acts of violence. And we pray for everyone affected by catastrophic storms and devastating wildfires that have ravaged communities in California. Every American heart is with those impacted by this terrible tragedy.”
He then spends some time praising the first responders who have risked their own lives to protect others’. “We thank every firefighter, first responder, and law enforcement officer who raced into danger to save so many lives,” he said. “These are brave people; these are great people; these are special people. Our spirits are lifted as we witness Americans across the country rescue those who are in danger, support those who are in need, and come together to rebuild homes and restore hope.”
He continues: “This Thanksgiving we express our profound gratitude to the family and friends who enrich our lives, to the neighbors who strengthen our communities, and to our fellow citizens who make this glorious nation into a beautiful home.”
He concludes by noting the prosperity America is enjoying and again stressing God’s role in imparting these blessings to our country. “We are all thankful for the incredible prosperity booming all across our land,” he said. “We thank God for the blessing of being American, the joy of spending time with loved ones, and the sacrifices made by the heroes who keep American safe, strong, and free. Thank you, God bless you, and happy Thanksgiving to everyone.”
Trump delivered similar comments at the annual Turkey pardoning ceremony on Tuesday. After working in some joking jabs at opponents, including the Democrats and the Ninth Circuit, Trump said (transcript via the White House):
We are now at the beginning of a national period of Thanksgiving. And as we pause to give thanks for all of the blessings that we’ve been bestowed, it really has been blessing after blessing after blessing. We’re all very thankful. And we also pray for those in need, especially our fellow citizens impacted by the devastating wildfires in California, where I just came back. I’ve never seen anything like it. Probably nobody has. All American hearts are joined with theirs.
We give thanks for the family, friends, neighbors and loved ones who enrich our lives, lift our spirits, and fill our days with joy. And we give thanks to God, who continues to shed his almighty grace upon this magnificent land that we all love so very much. We are truly blessed to be Americans.
This is an incredible time for our country. Prosperity is soaring all across our land. We are especially thankful for the men and women who protect our families and who protect our flag.
As we gather together this week with those we love, we share our gratitude to all of those who spend this holiday very, very far from home, serving in our military overseas. We send our eternal gratitude to the heroes who keep America safe, strong, proud, prosperous, and free. And we ask God to always watch over these incredible, brave Americans as they faithfully defend our nation and as they defend our home.
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