New video captures the emotional moments as Florida police officers turned to prayer and faith to help talk a suicidal man off the edge of a bridge.
The <a href="https://x.com/JSOPIO/status/2049277489952763951?s=20">Jacksonville Police Department</a> released body camera footage of an April 12 crisis incident involving a young man preparing to take his own life on top of the Dames Point Bridge.
&#8220;Whatever you&#8217;re going through, man, you can get through it,&#8221; Officer Antonio Richardson said.
The young man, wearing black slides and gray sweatpants, shrugged his shoulders and stood with his back turned to the officer.
&#8220;Come on, let&#8217;s talk about it for a minute, Richardson said. &#8220;Can I at least have a prayer with you?&#8221;
The appeal to faith appeared to resonate, and the young man turned toward the officer to listen.
&#8220;You mind if I just hold your hand and pray with you? Come on, man, touch my hand,&#8221; the officer said.
The 96-second viral video offers only a brief glimpse of a long, <a href="https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/jacksonville-officers-message-of-hope-helps-save-man-in-crisis/507-3729b387-840c-4bcb-a88a-dee2d7685e3e">40-minute emotional standoff</a> before the young man ultimately stepped away from the ledge.
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&#8220;You&#8217;re hurting, but if you jump, you&#8217;re going to hurt other people,&#8221; Richardson told him. &#8220;The cycle of hurt has got to stop.&#8221;
Richardson, an 18-year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and a pastor of more than 30 years, extended his arm and embraced the crying man into his arms, helping save his life.
“I remember reaching out my hand toward him, and at first, he was reluctant and kept looking like he wanted to jump. I kept saying, &#8216;Come on, man, don’t do it,&#8217; and he finally turned and reached his hand toward me. That was a magical moment,&#8221; Richardson said, <a href="https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/jacksonville-officers-message-of-hope-helps-save-man-in-crisis/507-3729b387-840c-4bcb-a88a-dee2d7685e3e">according to local outlet WTLV. </a>
Officer Creighton-Nelson offered more words of encouragement.
&#8220;I love you. We all love you. We wear this badge for many reasons. This is the main reason,&#8221; Nelson told the man. &#8220;To reach those whom the devil thinks he got. He ain&#8217;t got you.&#8221;
In that moment, the Jacksonville Police Department said their officers &#8220;were just people showing how much they care for another person.&#8221;
&#8220;I was praying, and God spared his life,&#8221; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VsXceoS-n0">Robinson told Fox News.</a> &#8220;We connected, and as a result of that connection, he didn&#8217;t jump, and that&#8217;s what it&#8217;s all about.&#8221;

Screenshot/Jacksonville Police Department

WATCH: Police Officer Leans On Prayer In Hour-Long Effort To Save Man On Bridge

Christian

Police

Prayer

Suicide

I don&#8217;t pray to Jesus. I never have. I was raised in a tradition that predates Christianity by a millennium, and when I pray — which I do, regularly, seriously — I do it in Hebrew, facing Jerusalem, according to a liturgy my ancestors carried through exile and persecution for thousands of years.
And I have absolutely zero problem with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth closing a Pentagon press briefing by <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4438625/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-and-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-air-force-gen-da/">asking the American people</a> to pray &#8220;on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ&#8221; for the safety of our troops.
Not an iota of irritation. Not a teaspoon of tumult.
The outrage is a performance — and a particularly threadbare one, conjured in response to perhaps the most banal, good-faith, unambiguously decent request a public official has made in recent memory.
When Hegseth stood at that podium and invoked Christ&#8217;s name on behalf of men and women in harm&#8217;s way, he was drawing on something Americans have done since before there was an America. George Washington is remembered kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge. FDR led the entire nation in prayer on D-Day, asking God for strength and providence as young Americans stormed the beaches at Normandy. Patton once called his chaplain and asked, point blank, for a prayer for good weather. This is the tradition Hegseth reached for — long, deep, distinctly American — the instinct of a nation that has always understood that some moments call for more than a press release.
The critics sputtering this week would have you believe that a cabinet secretary expressing his Christian faith in public is somehow a threat. To whom, exactly — to me? I am one of the people they&#8217;d presumably be defending. I am a Jew in a country that is, by any honest accounting, a majority-Christian nation with a majority-Christian culture and a majority-Christian history. I have known this every day of my life. It has never made me feel like a second-class citizen, because that is not what minority rights actually mean.
Minority rights mean the government cannot compel me to convert. They mean I cannot be prosecuted for my religion, fired from a federal job because I observe Shabbat, or told to leave the country because I don&#8217;t accept the Nicene Creed. They mean I have the full protection of the law and the full dignity of citizenship regardless of my faith. That is the promise of America, and it is a magnificent one — imperfectly but genuinely kept.
What it does not mean is that we all must pretend America has no religious character. It does not mean a Christian official must sand his faith down to a fine, inoffensive powder before speaking in public. It does not mean that mentioning Jesus at a press conference is an act of aggression against anyone.
The conflation of those two things — genuine religious persecution versus a majoritarian culture expressing itself — is doing serious damage to our civic life. Every time a Christian politician prays in public, a certain class of commentator treats it as a prelude to theocracy. This is not only dishonest. It is, as a Jew, a little insulting. It flattens my actual history — a history of pogroms and inquisitions and gas chambers — and asks me to treat a Pentagon official&#8217;s invocation of Christ as a comparable offense. I decline.
There is something else worth saying here. Every Saturday morning, in synagogues across America — certainly in mine — we recite a prayer for the safety of the United States Armed Forces. We do this whether American troops are in active combat or not. We do this because we understand, in the marrow of our tradition, that the soldiers who stand between a free society and its enemies deserve our gratitude and our supplication before God. Pete Hegseth was asking the American people to do what Jews have been doing in shul every week for generations. I recognize the impulse. I share it.
And this: if the worst my government is guilty of is asking faithful Americans to bend their knee in prayer and petition God for the safety of our troops, I will recommit myself to that government every day, and twice on Saturday. More Americans engaging in prayer can only be a positive movement for the nation.
The faith Hegseth expressed — one that asks its adherents to appeal to God on behalf of soldiers who may not come home — is not my enemy. It never has been.
America is a country where Christians pray, where Christian faith shapes public life, where references to Jesus are woven into the culture from the Pledge to the presidency. That is not a grievance. It is simply what a majority-Christian democracy looks like. A proud, observant Jew — or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or an atheist — can accept that reality without feeling diminished by it. In fact, intellectual honesty requires it.
The capacity to hold both things at once — to cherish the legal protections that shield the minority while accepting the cultural reality of the majority — is one of the more demanding things American pluralism asks of us. It is also non-negotiable. It is the deal.
Hegseth asked people to pray for our troops. I hope they do. I will be saying my own prayers for those soldiers — in my own tradition, as I do each day.
* * *
Daniella Greenbaum Davis is an Emmy-award winning producer and communications strategist. Follow her on X: @DGreenbaum
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Secretary Of War Hegseth And Joint Chiefs Chairman General Caine Hold Briefing On Iran War

I’m Jewish. I Have No Problem With Hegseth’s Prayer.

I'm Jewish. I Have No Problem With Hegseth's Prayer.

Christianity

Jewish

Opinion

Pentagon

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Military

War Secretary Pete Hegseth called on the American public to lift up members of the United States Armed Forces — particularly those who might be in harm&#8217;s way — and received immediate criticism from CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan. But Hegseth&#8217;s request is far from unprecedented.
&#8220;Please pray for them, every day, on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2034605561983959295?s=20">Hegseth said</a>, closing out a Thursday morning press briefing on Iran alongside other military leaders.
Brennan, anchor of CBS&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; responded by <a href="https://x.com/margbrennan/status/2034604792157192668">saying</a>, &#8220;The Secretary of Defense tells the American public to pray for our troops on bended knee and invoke Jesus&#8217; name &#8230;&#8221;
Brennan also accused the administration of using &#8220;religious references as justification for war,&#8221; responding to Hegseth&#8217;s comments describing the Iranian regime&#8217;s strategy as &#8220;a violent, messianic Islamist ideology chasing some sort of apocalyptic endgame.&#8221;
But prayer on the battlefield — and calls to prayer from both military and political leaders for those engaged in the fight — is nothing new.
On June 6, 1944, then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a radio address during which he invited the American people to <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/prayer-d-day">join him in prayer</a> for the Allied Forces as they stormed the beaches near Normandy, France. He finished that prayer by asking them to pray continuously for those men, both day and night, until their objective had been reached.
&#8220;Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity,&#8221; Roosevelt began. &#8220;Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.&#8221;
Roosevelt went on to pray for strength and courage in battle and acknowledged that many of those for whom he prayed would not ever return home.
&#8220;Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.&#8221;
Months later, with Allied efforts to liberate Europe well underway, <a href="https://www.historyonthenet.com/when-patton-enlisted-the-entire-third-army-to-pray-for-fair-weather">General George S. Patton</a> stood ready to lead his Third Army into battle — but the weather was a problem. In early December of 1944, just days before Patton arrived at the besieged town of Bastogne, Belgium, the general called Monsignor James H. O’Neill, the head chaplain: &#8220;This is General Patton; do you have a good prayer for weather? We must do something about those rains if we are to win the war.&#8221;
Patton&#8217;s deputy chief of staff, Colonel Paul Harkins, described the conversation that followed:
<blockquote>
Patton: &#8220;Chaplain, I want you to publish a prayer for good weather. I’m tired of these soldiers having to fight mud and floods as well as Germans. See if we can’t get God to work on our side.”
O’Neill: “Sir, it’s going to take a pretty thick rug for that kind of praying.”
Patton: “I don’t care if it takes a flying carpet. I want the praying done.”
O’Neill: “Yes, sir. May I say, General, that it usually isn’t a customary thing among men of my profession to pray for clear weather to kill fellow men.”
Patton: “Chaplain, are you trying to teach me theology or are you the Chaplain of the Third Army? I want a prayer.”
</blockquote>
The resulting prayer was printed on cards and distributed to as many of Patton&#8217;s men as possible: &#8220;Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.&#8221;
Patton later explained his emphasis on prayer to O&#8217;Neill, saying that he believed men could work and plan down to the last detail, but there was always an unknown factor in play: &#8220;I call it God. God has his part, or margin, in everything.&#8221;
&#8220;I wish you would put out a Training Letter on this subject of Prayer to all the chaplains; write about nothing else, just the importance of prayer,&#8221; Patton directed O&#8217;Neill. &#8220;Let me see it before you send it. We’ve got to get not only the chaplains but every man in the Third Army to pray. We must ask God to stop these rains. These rains are that margin that holds defeat or victory. If we all pray, it will be like what Dr. Carrel said, it will be like plugging in on a current whose source is in Heaven. I believe that prayer completes that circuit. It is power.&#8221;
When General Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected President of the United States, he too raised the nation and those alongside him in its leadership in private prayer. The <a style="font-size: 16px;" href="https://wallbuilders.com/resource/dwight-d-eisenhowers-inaugural-prayer/">handwritten words he prayed</a> before his inauguration in 1953 can be found at his presidential library.
&#8220;As we stand here, at this moment, my associates in the Executive Branch of government join me in beseeching that Thou will make full and complete our dedication to the service of the people in this throng and their fellow citizens everywhere. Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby and by the laws of this land,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people, regardless of station, race or calling. May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who hold to differing political beliefs, so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and for Thy glory. Amen.&#8221;
One of the most famous examples of such prayer might be as <a href="https://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/washington/prayer.html?srsltid=AfmBOoq3Fz4IWMbmDeWBfTzsQIhhby64psFLCaVW9wecIYn3p2rJrnsJ#google_vignette">much myth</a> as historical fact, but the story of then-General George Washington kneeling to pray at Valley Forge has nonetheless persisted as well. The story has several versions throughout history — none of which have ever been definitively confirmed or debunked — all suggesting that Washington knelt alone to pray for his beleaguered troops during the brutal winter as they camped just outside of Philadelphia. Different accounts claim that either the Marquis de Lafayette or a local resident happened upon the general in prayer, but the overall takeaway is the same: multiple accounts agree that Washington was known to leave the camp and spend time in solitude, whether that time was used for prayer or simply quiet reflection.

Hegseth Confirmation Hearing TW

Left Targets Hegseth For Asking Americans To Pray — The History Lesson They’re Ignoring

CBS News

Donald Trump

Dwight D. Eisenhower

George Patton

Iran

Media

Military

Politics

On Thursday, President Trump returned to the National Prayer Breakfast and proceeded to give a speech that was reasonably religious in overtones.
Something fascinating about the president is that he&#8217;s been able to do things that a lot of Christian conservatives and religious Jews appreciate while maintaining a largely secular coalition.
What would appear to be a marginal increase in non-Christian affiliation inside the Republican Party is not marginal because the overall loss in the traditional religious constituency in the Republican Party is reflective of an overall loss of religiosity in the American public more generally.
Today, the majority of Republicans are religious, but an increasing percentage are not particularly religious, and it is pretty religiously diverse.
That does not mean that the Republican Party should somehow abandon the moral issues that make the Republican Party the Republican Party. That&#8217;s not my case.
My case is that making the Republican Party non-ecumenical as opposed to ecumenical is a mistake. We’ve seen this sort of move being made on behalf of some parts of the sort of the trad-Catholic Right, some of the quasi-integralists on the Right, who seem to be making a move to break up the Republican coalition by suggesting that there is a vast religious revival that is happening in the country that is going to drive Republicans to victory.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2363-sub?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Those numbers do not exist. I wish there were; I wish there were a vast religious revival in the country and that the Republican Party was closer to its biblical moral values. I wish that were the case.
But that is not supported by the data, which is why Trump is the right president for this moment, and it&#8217;s why Republicans have to watch out for coalition building and how not to break it up.
When you talk about the increasing irreligiosity of the body politic, that is correct. That doesn&#8217;t mean that Republicans should abandon social issues. They absolutely should not.
But it does mean that the more overt you are about marginal social issues, the more you are likely to lose the Trump coalition. Trump is winning outsized shares of Christian evangelicals, Catholics, and religious people because the Left is crazy, not because he is campaigning as some sort of religious figure.
If you wish for Republicans to win, then presenting good policy with a moderate face — even if you have outsized rhetoric like President Trump — is a better path to victory than embracing the fringe positions taken by so many on X and elsewhere.
President Trump can go to the National Prayer Breakfast and give what are, at best, sort of vague religious statements. And that&#8217;s fine with people. President Trump literally joked about making it to heaven at the National Prayer Breakfast, saying:
I said, “I’m never going to make it to heaven. I just don’t think I qualify.” I don’t think there’s a thing I can do, but all of these good things I’m doing, including for religion — you know, religion’s back now hotter than ever before — but I said, “Even though I did that, and so many other things” —  I named things. I said, “I won’t qualify. I’m not going to make it to heaven.”
And the New York Times did a front-page story that Donald Trump is questioning his life and the meaning of his life. No, I was just having fun. I really think I probably should make it; I mean, I’m not a perfect candidate, but I did a hell of a lot of good for perfect people.
That last line, that he&#8217;s done a lot of things for people, is the reason he’s been elected president twice. 
President Trump says, listen, you have to believe in something. You have to have a religion in general. 
This is the American position. The American position is that Biblical values are good and that we like religious practice in this country. Freedom of religion and freedom from government intervention in religion are in the same amendment for a reason. That broad ecumenism is a winning approach for the Republicans.
And pointing out the anti-religious secularism of the Left is a winning approach for Republicans.
President Trump has the pulse of the American people on the vast majority of issues, which is why he usually takes the 80% on 80/20 issues.
Republicans need to continue to do that.

US-POLITICS-RELIGION-PRAYER-BREAKFAST-TRUMP

The Big Tent: Trump’s Ecumenical Path To Victory

Ben Shapiro

Bible

Jews

Judeo-Christian Values

Religion

Republican Party

White House

President Donald Trump mocked the New York Times at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, pointing out that when he ruminated in a joking way about getting into heaven, the Times hypothesized that he was questioning the meaning of his life.
“You can’t be sarcastic with them because they write your words,” he said. “The people that are reading the words are much different &#8230; I said, “I’m never going to make it to heaven. I just don’t think I qualify.’”
“I don’t think there’s a thing I can do but all of these good things I’m doing, including for religion — you know, religion’s back now hotter than ever before — but I said, ‘Even though I did that, and so many other things’ —  I named things. I said, ‘I won&#8217;t qualify. I&#8217;m not going to make it to heaven.&#8217;”
“And the New York Times did a front-page story that Donald Trump is questioning his life and the meaning of his life,” he recalled. “No, I was just having fun. I really think I probably should make it; I mean, I’m not a perfect candidate but I did a hell of a lot of good for perfect people.“
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: President Trump mocks the media for not grasping his sense of humor during a lighthearted moment about his faith.
&#8220;I said, &#8216;I won&#8217;t qualify. I&#8217;m not going to make it to heaven.&#8217; And the New York Times did a front-page story that Donald Trump is questioning his life and the… <a href="https://t.co/eY2EjB1JJz">pic.twitter.com/eY2EjB1JJz</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2019414147708891487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
Last October 12, Trump <a href="https://people.com/donald-trump-says-he-doesnt-think-hes-heaven-bound-after-fundraising-for-help-getting-there-11828782">told reporters</a> aboard Air Force One, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s anything going to get me in heaven. I really don&#8217;t. I think I&#8217;m not maybe heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. I&#8217;m not sure I&#8217;m going to be able to make heaven, but I&#8217;ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.&#8221;
Later, at the end of October, Peter Baker of the Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/us/politics/trump-heaven-legacy.html">wrote</a> the following:
<blockquote>
A few weeks ago, President Trump momentarily dropped the bombast and the playground insults and the self-congratulation to muse about his eternal soul. “I want to try and get to heaven, if possible,” <a href="https://archive.is/o/BjWth/https:/www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/us/politics/trump-heaven.html">he said</a>. “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole.”
Prodded by a reporter this month to elaborate, he repeated the lament without much more explanation. “I’m being a little cute,” <a href="https://archive.is/o/BjWth/https:/www.fox5dc.com/news/im-not-sure-im-going-be-able-make-heaven-trump-tells-press-air-force-one">he said</a>. But he went on: “I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to get me into heaven. I think I’m not maybe heaven-bound.”
Mr. Trump is hardly the first 79-year-old to dwell on what may come after he departs this mortal coil — or to wonder whether he has earned entry into the pearly gates. But it is so unlike Mr. Trump to express self-doubt that his public rumination has raised questions. What is on his mind lately that makes him fear his fate in the hereafter? What sins might he be regretting?
</blockquote>

Trump Torches New York Times For Rebranding His Joke As A Spiritual Crisis

Executive

The New York Times

President Donald Trump announced at the 74th annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning that the United States would be &#8220;rededicated as one nation under God&#8221; as he touted his administration&#8217;s defense of religious values.
Trump discussed religious freedom and Christianity and announced that Americans are invited to &#8220;come together on our National Mall to pray, to give thanks,&#8221; on May 17.
&#8220;We are going to do something that everyone said, &#8216;That&#8217;s tough.&#8217; We&#8217;re going to rededicate America as one nation under God,&#8221; Trump said, adding, &#8220;I&#8217;ve always said, you just can&#8217;t have a great country if you don&#8217;t have religion. You have to believe in something. You have to believe that what we&#8217;re doing, there&#8217;s a reason for it.&#8221;
Throughout his speech, the president also sprinkled in criticism of his political opponents, specifically calling former President Joe Biden &#8220;the worst president we&#8217;ve ever had&#8221; and former President Barack Obama &#8220;a terrible divider of our country.&#8221;
&#8220;He was a divider, and believe it or not, we&#8217;re bringing the country together. You know what&#8217;s bringing it together, tremendous success. We&#8217;re having tremendous success,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I really don&#8217;t, and I know we have some here today, and I don&#8217;t know why they&#8217;re here. They certainly don&#8217;t give us their vote.&#8221;
As he often does, Trump drifted from his prepared remarks for most of the speech and even commented on how he had been ignoring the teleprompter.
&#8220;At some point, I&#8217;m going to get right back onto the teleprompter and you&#8217;re going to say that was a wonderful speech,&#8221; he said before looking back into his prepared remarks.
&#8220;On that momentous day in 1776, history changed forever when our founders proclaimed the immortal truths that echoed around the world and down all the way through time. They declared that all of us are made free and equal by the hand of our creator. A lot of presidents refuse to say that,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Some major politicians refuse to say the word &#8216;God.&#8217; They don&#8217;t want to say it. I say it.&#8221;
&#8220;We are endowed with our sacred rights to life and liberty, not by government but by God Almighty himself,&#8221; he added.
Throughout his second term, Trump has focused on addressing &#8220;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/eradicating-anti-christian-bias/">anti-Christian bias</a>&#8221; in the United States as well as the persecution of Christians in Africa and the Middle East. Last February, Trump established a task force to look into attacks on Christians, condemning the Biden administration for &#8220;targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses.&#8221;
&#8220;My Administration will not tolerate anti-Christian weaponization of government or unlawful conduct targeting Christians,&#8221; Trump stated in his order on February 6, 2025.
In the past year, Trump has also called out attacks on Christians in foreign countries, such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-next-peace-push-focuses-on-nigeria-and-sudan-where-christians-are-killed-by-the-thousands?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%E2%80%99s+Next+Peace+Push+Focuses+On+Nigeria+And+Sudan%2C+Where+Christians+Are+Killed+By+The+Thousands">Nigeria</a>. The president designated Nigeria as a &#8220;Country of Particular Concern&#8221; in October, saying that “Christianity is facing an existential threat.”
During his speech on Thursday, the president spent a considerable amount of time talking about how he targeted ISIS terrorists in the Middle East during his first term and then slammed the Biden administration&#8217;s failure to keep the region stable after he left office.
&#8220;The election was rigged and I wasn&#8217;t there, and for four years, ISIS rebuilt, rebuilt, rebuilt, and they have a little bit of ISIS now again,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And we knocked the hell out of them the other day in Nigeria because they were killing Christians. I said, &#8216;You can&#8217;t do that.'&#8221;

Trump Vows To Rededicate America As One Nation Under God

Christians

Freedom of Religion

This evening, Members of Congress will come together publicly, not to debate or campaign, but to pray for America in a National Prayer Call.
In a first, the House Freedom Caucus and the Family Research Council will host a national call to prayer titled, “Congress Prays for America.” It will unite Members of Congress, Christian leaders, and Americans across the country to do what is desperately needed in this moment: humble ourselves before God and seek His guidance for our nation.
This couldn’t come at a more urgent time. In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a young Christian leader who devoted his life to calling this generation back to truth and faith, our country is being forced to confront its spiritual crisis. Political violence, moral confusion, and hatred have filled the void where faith and grace once stood. It’s not just a political problem — it’s a spiritual one.
The answer to the kind of darkness America is facing won’t come from another government program or campaign speech. It will come from personal and corporate repentance, humility, and a national return to God.
That’s what this prayer call is about.
For decades, Washington has treated faith as something to be kept private — to be tolerated but never proclaimed. Lawmakers have been told that prayer belongs in the pews, not the halls of Congress. But America’s founders knew better. They opened every session of Congress with prayer because they knew the affairs of men could not prosper without the wisdom of Heaven.
When Congress prays, Members are reminded that we are not the ultimate authority — God is.
On Thursday night, Members will pray for an end to political violence. They will pray for our President, for Congress, for the people impacted by the ongoing shutdown, and for peace and protection in Israel.
The same faith that once guided the founding of this nation can still renew it today. We need a revival of courage, conviction, and compassion in our government. We need leaders who remember that the Constitution protects freedom of religion, not freedom from it.
That’s why this call matters.
When Members of Congress bow their heads together, they acknowledge that the power to restore this nation doesn’t lie in the levers of politics, but in the hands of Providence. God can bring revival to the very place where division has taken root: the United States Capitol.
This isn’t just a national prayer call from Congress. It’s a step toward something our country desperately needs — a spiritual revival and awakening. 
America’s hope doesn’t rest in Washington, but it can start there.
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Tony Perkins is president of Family Research Council and executive editor of The Washington Stand.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Correction: The previous title indicated a prayer meeting at the Capitol tonight. The prayer call is in fact a teleconference phone call, not an in-person meeting. The revised title reflects that change.

Aerial Shot of Colorful Evening Sky Behind Capitol Building and Washington Monument

Why We’re Hosting A National Prayer Call Tonight: ‘Congress Prays For America’

Why We’re Hosting A National Prayer Call Tonight: 'Congress Prays For America'

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Rabbi Yehudah Glick, a former Israeli Knesset member and prominent advocate for Jewish prayer rights on the Temple Mount, has <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/414920">announced plans</a> to lead a prayer rally in honor of slain American conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Glick, himself a survivor of a 2014 assassination attempt, views Kirk’s death not only as a personal tragedy but as a symbolic attack on values they both championed — faith, freedom of speech, and biblical truth.
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In an emotional interview with Israel National News, Glick expressed deep sorrow over Kirk’s assassination, calling it “a personal shock” and a reminder of the dangers faced by those who speak openly about their values. Drawing a parallel between his own near-fatal shooting and Kirk’s targeted killing, Glick emphasized that people of faith and conviction are often the ones most vulnerable to extremist violence. “Who are the people that are targeted for assassination? It’s people who believe in freedom of speech, but also have truth and faith that they’re willing to speak about,” he said.
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Glick sees Kirk as more than a political figure — he represents a growing and powerful alliance between evangelical Christians and supporters of Israel. Glick described Kirk as a man who lived by biblical principles, including the sanctity of family and respect for religious tradition. He noted that Kirk had shown reverence for the Temple Mount and advocated for the right of all believers to pray there, regardless of faith.
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In tribute to Kirk’s legacy, Glick is organizing a joint Jewish-Christian prayer rally on the Temple Mount just before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. He chose this symbolic date to align with themes of renewal, creation, and divine justice. The rally, he explained, will be a spiritual gathering of Jews and Christians “calling out together to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Glick’s goal is not only to honor Kirk but also to strengthen the interfaith alliance that he believes is critical to the future of Israel and the world.
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This move is deeply personal for Glick, whose activism has long centered on religious freedom and mutual respect among faiths. Despite <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/yehuda-glick">surviving an attempt on his life</a> in 2014 — shot four times at close range by a Palestinian assailant who accused him of being an “enemy of Al-Aqsa” — Glick remains committed to nonviolence and dialogue. He rejects the notion that his vision for the Temple Mount excludes Muslims. Instead, he envisions it as a “world center for religious tolerance,” where Jews, Christians, and Muslims can all pray freely. “I respect their right to pray, and I don’t bother their prayer. And I expect them to respect my right to pray with them,” Glick stated.
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(For a comprehensive explanation of the centrality of the Temple Mount for Jews, see <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-temple-mount-is-judaisms-holiest-site-and-it-always-has-been-heres-everything-you-need-to-know">here.</a>)
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Glick’s experience of surviving the assassination attempt — an attack that left him severely wounded and hospitalized for weeks — has only strengthened his determination. He continues to lead efforts for greater Jewish access to the Temple Mount and now sees the momentum shifting. Where once he was a lone voice in the religious community, today thousands of Jews, including prominent rabbis, have joined the movement. Glick also founded the organization HaLiba (“The Heart”) and leads tours of the Temple Mount, promoting a peaceful Jewish presence there.
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He is also deeply involved in humanitarian work through Amitim, an Israeli organization supporting widows and orphans. In light of Kirk’s death, Glick sees renewed urgency in supporting families shattered by violence — whether in Israel or abroad.
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Ultimately, Glick’s decision to lead a prayer rally for Kirk is a culmination of his life’s mission: promoting interfaith unity, freedom of worship, and peace through shared biblical values. By bringing Jews and Christians together at the holiest site in Judaism, Glick hopes to send a message that the values Kirk stood for — faith, family, truth, and freedom — will not be silenced, but elevated through prayer, solidarity, and mutual respect.
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Rabbi Who Took 4 Bullets For Religious Freedom To Honor Charlie Kirk With Prayer Rally In Jerusalem

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Five days after I left my short stint heading news partnerships at X, a friend texted me with the details of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Assuming I was cooling off after a long period of eating, breathing and sleeping Elon Musk&#8217;s social platform, this note was intended as a simple ICYMI to someone who didn’t miss much – one that I am grateful to have received.
I didn’t know Charlie Kirk, but every aspect of my recent job was influenced by his work. X is the home of countless communicators aiming to follow Kirk&#8217;s pattern of boldness, eloquence, and clarity. I haven’t done the math, but my guess is for every 100 aspiring Charlies, none manage to fill the mold.
Opening X on my phone Wednesday afternoon ushered me into a world I feared was becoming extinct. Post upon post was an appeal to pray. Pray for Charlie. Pray for Erika. Pray for the children. Pray for the hearts, the minds of young people. Pray for a nation divided. Yes, there was a lot of other noise on X – there always is – but the call for prayers was overwhelming.
This was a different call to action than the one I remember witnessing when my Twitter use was beginning to take flight. In 2012, with a 6-year-old, 2-year-old, and 2-day-old at home, I scrolled through post after post after the December 14 shooting at Sandy Hook, encouraging us to shelve the thoughts and prayers and focus on solutions instead of platitudes. As an editor in the Wall Street Journal’s newsroom at the time, I tended to agree the thoughts and prayers line was getting a little old.
I relived that nine years later when a 15-year-old shot up Oxford High School, a short drive from my house. Ethan Crumbley&#8217;s bullets killed and injured classmates, including one who had sat in the backseat of my car on road trips to gymnastics meets. Prayers seemed like a slice of the equation, but damn we needed to do something about guns.
In our world, there is an urgent need for prayerful petitions and also a need for action. But, there is a pecking order.
Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith explained that pecking order Friday during a press conference. After running through the predictable lists of shoutouts to law enforcement and public officials, he paused before saying, “Most of all, I would like to thank the public and specifically I would like to thank the public who turned to prayers and who turned to positiveness for us … we needed those prayers. That’s what we needed to get through this.”
If social media is, as Utah Governor Spencer Cox deemed it during the same event, “a cancer,” its rot lies in its stubborn insistence on trying to replace real life. These platforms can be a tool for good, enabling free speech and breaking down geographic, generational and socioeconomic barriers that limit or prevent physical relationships. However, these platforms – like most media – have little appetite for nuance and too often trick us into thinking that words only have meaning if they are shouted in a digital town hall.
This is delusional. And it is in delusion where evil most comfortably resides, camouflaging itself as anything it can to make its work feel less evil. Anyone who has been introduced to the advice C.S. Lewis’s senior devil Screwtape passes along to his nephew Wormwood, knows that evil is most content when it is considered banal and impotent.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination, specifically its aftermath, reminds us of two important things. One, even the best of us can’t always stand in the way of evil. And, the most effective way to confront evil is by doing the thing that feels most powerless in the fog of war: prayer.
While evil doesn’t walk around wearing a nametag saying “Hello, My Name is ____,” its influence and presence leaves an unmistakable mark in its wake. Cunning and relentless, evil tends to be as persistent as it is crafty. Evil will strike again and that strike will catch us by surprise like it did on 9/11 and nearly 24 years later on 9/10.
In this instance, we are wise to take advice ladled out on X in the wake of a martyr’s death. “Pray, fool, pray.” For our fight is not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities working to tear our union apart.
Imagine a world where social media, for all its ills, drives us to the increasingly unfamiliar spot of being on our knees in a relatively powerless position. That world gives us hope when we realize that being on our knees is actually the most powerful posture there is.
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John D. Stoll is a writer based in Rochester, Mich. He worked for 13 years at Wall Street Journal as a reporter, editor and columnist, leaving in 2020. He most recently ran news partnerships at X.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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X’s Algorithm At Its Best: A Push For Thoughts And Prayers

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President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would take action to protect students’ rights to pray at public schools. 
Trump made the announcement during the second official hearing of the Religious Liberty Commission at the Museum of the Bible. The focus of the hearing was on religious liberty and public education, featuring testimony from students who claimed their religious beliefs were challenged at school. 
“For most of our country’s history, the Bible was found in every classroom in the nation, yet in many schools, today’s students are instead indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda and some are even punished for their religious beliefs,” Trump said. 
Trump pointed to a young girl from Texas named Hannah Allen, who was reprimanded for meeting with a group of her classmates during lunch to pray for an injured friend. 
“To support students like Hannah, I’m pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools,” Trump said. 
What the guidance will look like is not clear. The Supreme Court recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fired-football-coach-to-be-reinstated-after-supreme-court-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> in favor of a high school football coach from Washington who was fired for leading voluntary prayers on the field after games. The court ruled that the school district violated the coach’s rights by disciplining him. 
The new protections for prayer come as the Trump administration on Monday <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/america250/america-prays/">rolled</a> out an “America Prays” initiative to encourage Americans to meet with 10 others once a week to pray for the country. 
During the hearing, Trump also said that his administration would work to get answers about the attack at a Catholic school in Minnesota last month by a transgender-identifying male. 
“Two weeks ago, in Minneapolis, a demonic killer shot 21 people and murdered the two precious children at a Catholic school,” Trump said. “Our hearts are shattered for the families of those beautiful children.”
“The Trump administration will have no tolerance for terrorism or political violence, and that includes hate crimes against Christians, Jews, or anybody else,” he added. 
The Religious Liberty Commission was established in May through a Trump executive order directing it to produce a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious freedom and the leading threats it faces in the United States today.

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Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that politicians and political commentators who have condemned prayer in the wake of a mass shooting in Minnesota should “get new politics.”
In an appearance on Fox News, Vance ripped into those who have mocked or dismissed calls for prayer to help deal with tragedy. The vice president said that people who have targeted prayer after a gunman killed two children at Annunciation Catholic School’s church on Wednesday morning have “something very wrong” with their souls.
“If you are a politician or you&#8217;re a media commentator and two beautiful babies just got murdered while praying, and your politics force you to condemn prayer in response to it, you ought to get new politics because something very wrong has gone on inside your soul,” said Vance, who is a Catholic.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a>: &#8220;If you are a politician or you&#8217;re a media commentator and two beautiful babies just got murdered while praying, and your politics force you to condemn prayer in response to it, you ought to get new politics because something very wrong has gone on inside your soul.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ukwAIWdBbs">pic.twitter.com/ukwAIWdBbs</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1961161979868962889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
A number of left-wing politicians and commentators have downplayed prayer in the wake of the shooting. Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who served in the Biden administration, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karoline-leavitt-destroys-jen-psaki-for-mocking-the-power-of-prayer">said</a> in a post on X: “Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers does (sic) not end school shootings. prayers (sic) do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers.”
Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey on Wednesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-mayor-trashes-people-for-offering-thoughts-and-prayers-after-shooting">dismissed</a> “thoughts and prayers” during a news conference after the shooting.
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now, these kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school, they were in a church,” Frey said. “These are kids that should be learning with their friends. They should be playing on the playground. They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence.”
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom echoed Frey’s sentiment in a post on X that targeted White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who defended prayer in reaction to Psaki’s comment.
“These children were literally praying as they got shot at,” Newsom wrote.
Annunciation Catholic Church <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/church-targeted-by-trans-identifying-shooter-asks-for-prayer-during-impossible-situation">invited</a> prayer in an open letter to the general public on Wednesday evening, asking for support as the community grapples with the deadly attack.
“Please lift up these families and these children in prayer and surround them and each other with your love during this difficult time,” the school’s principal, Matthew DeBoer, and the church’s pastor, Father Dennis Zehren, wrote.

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President Trump showed European allies the ‘art of the deal’ this week as his own luxury resort in Scotland played host to negotiations for one of the largest trade deals in history.
Accompanied by bagpipes, the President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europe-laughed-at-trump-now-theyre-going-to-cut-a-big-energy-check">shook hands</a> with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and heralded a major new US-EU trade pact — encompassing a 15% tariff rate on European imports.
But while Scotland was hosting talks on open markets, its own government continues to close off a core tenet of liberal democracy: the freedom to speak — even, in some cases, to silently pray.
In April 2024, Scotland enacted the Hate Crime and Public Order Act, which criminalizes words that amount to subjectively “stirring up hatred” based on a wide range of characteristics, such as someone’s “gender identity.” One may be found guilty of using the wrong words even if offence was only taken, but not intended. The consequences include up to seven years in prison.
Legal scholars, writers, and civil liberties groups have raised serious concerns. The law invites the state to police not just conduct but private expression — even within a family home. What was once a proud tradition of robust, even unpopular debate, is being eroded in favor of subjective standards of offense.
Meanwhile, new legislation in Scotland has imposed “buffer zones” around hospitals, vaguely criminalizing “influence” on the matter of abortion within 200 meters of the building. That radius can encompass private homes. <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/26/praying-at-home-a-crime-depending-on-who-is-passing-window/">According</a> to the law’s own architect, Gillian Mackay MSP, a person praying silently near a window in their home could be guilty of a crime, “depending on who’s passing the window.”
One recent case under a similar “buffer zones” law across the English border drew international attention: Livia Tossici-Bolt, aged 62-years-old, was arrested simply for standing with a sign reading “Here to talk, if you want.” She was not disruptive. She was not loud. She simply offered consensual conversation to other adults.
The U.S. State Department <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/03/31/free-speech-row-threatens-starmers-us-trade-deal/">took notice</a>. A senior official confirmed “concern” about the state of free speech in the UK, adding, “It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression.”
Vice President JD Vance raised similar concerns in his landmark speech at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, even highlighting Scotland’ notorious prayer problem, noting, “free speech, I fear, is in retreat.” Who can blame him? In the UK, police are <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/05/15/britains-police-are-restricting-speech-in-worrying-ways">arresting</a> over 30 people per day for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-the-people-around-the-world-on-trial-for-a-tweet?author=Lois+McLatchie+Miller&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Meet+The+People+Around+The+World+On+Trial+For+A+Tweet%C2%A0">online posts</a> deemed offensive.
Such statements reflect a growing discomfort with what appears to be a widening values gap between the U.K. and its allies. Free societies are built not just on GDP and diplomatic summits, but on the intangible infrastructure of liberty — the right to live and speak freely, according to one’s own conscience. Trade flows best when rooted in mutual trust, shared principles, and the confidence that citizens on both sides of the Atlantic are protected by the same basic freedoms.
The U.K. cannot credibly advocate for open markets while tolerating closed discourse. A nation cannot speak loudly on the world stage while silencing its citizens at home. If Britain wishes to remain a trusted partner in the transatlantic alliance — not just economically but morally — it must reaffirm its commitment to the freedoms that define liberal democracy.
No ally is perfect. But the U.K. must meet the standards it helped to set. Free trade among free nations requires more than signed agreements. It requires trust in mutual political courage to protect liberty where it is most easily lost: quietly, at home.
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Lois McLatchie Miller is a Scottish commentator on free speech, and a senior legal communications officer for ADF International.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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