President Donald Trump kicked off Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast with trademark bluntness, mixing humor, frustration, and pointed criticism as he took aim at fellow Republicans Chip Roy and Thomas Massie, while also blasting Democrats over religion and voting issues.
Early in his remarks, Trump turned to the razor-thin Republican majority in the House of Representatives and described what he said were frequent late-night calls from House Speaker Mike Johnson. Trump said Johnson often reaches out in the early morning hours seeking help corralling votes from a small group of Republican holdouts.
According to Trump, most Republicans stand firmly behind the party’s agenda, but a handful consistently make even the easiest votes difficult. He described them as lawmakers who “need a little love all the time,” even on issues he said should be simple wins for conservatives, including religion and core Republican priorities.
Trump recounted how Johnson would call him around 3 a.m. to report that the same small group of lawmakers was again holding up progress. Trump said he would then personally get on the phone to try to bring them on board, noting that it always seemed to be the same names creating problems.
He singled out Roy as an example, joking about calling him directly and hearing hesitation even as key votes approached. Trump described offering breakfast meetings and personal appeals just hours before scheduled votes, portraying the process as exhausting but ultimately successful, since most of those lawmakers eventually fall in line.
Massie, however, was treated differently in Trump’s telling. The president described the Kentucky congressman as an “automatic no,” saying Massie opposes nearly everything, regardless of the issue. Trump said even if Republicans bundled together the most popular conservative priorities into a single bill, Massie would still vote against it.
Trump mocked Massie’s political standing, comparing him to Sen. Rand Paul and suggesting that constant opposition does not translate into strong support. He said Massie appears to believe voting no is good politics, despite what Trump characterized as weak polling.
The president then pivoted to religion, declaring that he has done more for religious freedom than any other president. Trump said he took pride in that claim, while also arguing that it was not a particularly high bar because modern presidents, in his view, have largely avoided or abandoned faith-based issues.
He accused recent presidents of trying to remain neutral or even hostile toward religion, arguing that Democrats in particular are openly opposed to people of faith. Trump said he does not understand how a religious voter could support the Democratic Party.
In a moment that drew laughter and sharp edges, Trump acknowledged that some Democrats were in attendance at the prayer breakfast, but questioned why they were there if they consistently vote against policies he associates with religious values. He added that he had no expectation of persuading them on issues like voter ID.
The remarks set a combative tone for the annual event, underscoring Trump’s willingness to call out both parties—and members of his own—while reinforcing his message that faith, party loyalty, and election integrity remain central pillars of his presidency.
[READ MORE: Trump Keeps Media Guessing as He Deflects Term Limit Hypotheticals]
