Trump Shares Plans for National Garden of American Heroes Like Billy Graham: ‘We Have to Make Religion a Much More Important Factor’ | Video

The United States of America might famously have a separation of church and state, but you wouldn’t know it based on President Donald Trump’s speech at the
National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.

While speaking to some of the most powerful religious figures in the country at the early morning event, the nondenominational Christian revealed his plans for a National Garden of American Heroes that would feature statues of people like late evangelist Billy Graham.

“People of religion are going to be happy again. I really believe you can’t be happy without religion,” Trump said while further explaining how the pandemic impacted religious Americans, though specifically those of his same faith.

“I just think our country has been so badly hurt. We’re very hurt by what COVID did to religion, it really hurt it badly. People couldn’t go to church for a long period of time,” he recalled. “Even going outside, they were given a hard time — and I’m not blaming anyone for that — but it was very hard to gather, so they started using computers, if that. When they come back, it’s just a whole new experience they have to get used to, but it is starting to come back.”

The president also used the platform to praise the nation’s active duty members and police, to applause from the crowd. “We had a fantastic thing that happened yesterday. The Army had the best recruitment numbers that they’ve had in more than 15 years, they think it’s more than 25 years, actually,” Trump said. “We were worried about it, we talked about it numerous times, ‘We don’t have people joining our military service, we don’t have people joining our police force.’ We have to cherish our police. It’s so dangerous. You open a car and somebody starts shooting. They have blackened windows, you don’t even have any idea who’s in the car.”

He even briefly touched upon his executive order to ban transgender women from participating in women’s sports, admitting he didn’t really understand the issue.

“So where is the middle ground? It’s hard to have a middle ground — you can either do it or you can’t. But I think a lot of good things are going to happen, a lot of people might be surprised to hear me say that, of all people, but I think a lot of good things are going to happen,” Trump said. “Because our country’s got some big headaches, but we have tremendous spirit right now. Spirit’s as high as it’s been.”

He did, however, preach unity regardless of political affiliation. “Democrats are going to be able to have lunch again with Republicans. I remember growing up, I revered senators and congressmen, something special, but they were out to dinner all the time,” he concluded. “We really have to get together. We all know what’s right and wrong and there’s going to be compromise on both sides.”

Check out Trump’s full speech from the National Prayer Breakfast, above.

The post Trump Shares Plans for National Garden of American Heroes Like Billy Graham: ‘We Have to Make Religion a Much More Important Factor’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.