Here's Some Of What President Trump Actually Said At The National Prayer Breakfast

Trump began his speech asking attendees to pray for Arnold Schwarzenegger and then boasted about his own Apprentice ratings.

President Trump on Thursday attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast, where he began his speech by asking a room full of religious leaders to pray for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

video-cdn.buzzfeed.com

He's a special, special friend, Mark Burnett, for the wonderful introduction. So true, so true. I said to the agent, I'm sorry. The only thing wrong, I actually got on the phone, fired him myself, because he said you don't want to do it, it'll never work, it'll never, ever, work, you don't want to do it. I said, listen. But I really fired him after it became the number one show. It became so successful, and he wanted a commission ... that's what I really said. But we had tremendous success on The Apprentice, and when I ran for president, I had to leave the show. That's when I knew for sure I was doing it. And they hired a big, big movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to take my place. And we know how that turned out. The ratings went right down the tubes. It's been a total disaster. And Mark will never, ever bet against Trump again. And I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings, okay? But we've have had an amazing life together, the last 14, 15 years. An outstanding man, and thank you very much for introducing me. Appreciate it. It's a great honor.

In turn, Schwarzenegger responded with a video posted on Twitter, in which he suggested he and Trump switch jobs.

"You take over TV because you’re such an expert in ratings," Schwarzenegger said. "And I take over your job and then people can finally sleep comfortably again, hmm?"

Here are some of things he said at the meeting, taken word for word from a transcript.

When he said religious freedom is under threat, but he’s going to “straighten it out.”

Our republic was formed on the basis that freedom is not a gift from government, but freedom is a gift from God. It was the great Thomas Jefferson who said that God gave us life, gave us liberty. Jefferson asked, "Can the liberties of a nation be secured when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?" Among those freedoms is the right to worship according to our own beliefs. That is why I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution. I will do that. Remember.

Freedom of religion is a sacred right, but also a right under threat all around us, and the world is under serious, serious threat in so many different ways, and I've never seen it so much and so openly since I took the position of president. The world is in trouble, but we're going to straighten it out. That's what I do, I fix things. We're going to straighten it out. Believe me.

When he told the audience to not worry about the "tough phone calls" he has to make — including calls with America's allies.

When you hear about the tough phone calls I'm having, don't worry about it. Just don't worry about it. They're tough. We have to be tough. It's time we're going to be a little tough, folks. We're taken advantage of by every nation in the world virtually. It's not going to happen anymore. It's not going to happen anymore.

When he talked about violence carried out in the name of religion.

We have seen unimaginable violence carried out in the name of religion, acts of wanton abuse of minorities, horrors on a scale that defy description. Terrorism is a fundamental threat to religious freedom. It must be stopped, and it will be stopped. It may not be pretty for a little while. It will be stopped ...

... We have seen peace-loving Muslims brutalized, victimized, murdered, and oppressed by ISIS killers. We have seen threats of external nation against the Jewish people. We have seen a campaign of ISIS and genocide against Christians where they cut off heads. Not since the Middle Ages have we seen that. We haven't seen that, the cutting off of heads. Now they cut off the heads, they drown people in steel cages, haven't seen this.

Skip to footer