President Trump has ribbed Speaker Mike Johnson for praying before meals—during a speech at a prayer breakfast.
Trump was speaking on Thursday at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., an event founded in the 1950s for members of government and Congress to pray for one another.
During his rambling monologue, Trump riffed on his well-documented fears of not getting into heaven, before laughing at Johnson for trying to make him pray before lunch times.
“In 2025, more copies of the Holy Bible were sold in the United States than in any time in the last 100 years,” Trump said to whoops and a round of applause. “Now, how about that?
“How about that. Did you know that, Mr. Speaker?” Trump asked, looking to his left at Johnson, an evangelical Southern Baptist, who was standing at the edge of the stage.
“You know, Mike Johnson is a very religious person, and he does not hide it. He’ll say to me sometimes at lunch, ‘Sir, may we pray?’
“I say, ‘Excuse me? We’re having lunch. You know—It’s ok with me. But he’s a very religious person, and he is popular, and he is doing an unbelievable job, so I think God is watching over you.”
Trump, who was confirmed into the Presbyterian church as a boy but who has not publicly been seen in a house of God in over a year, then began to shout. “God is watching over him! I don’t know about me! So I hang around with him so I feel I’m protected a little bit!”
People clapped. Trump smiled.
The president has been candid about his heavenly anxieties, saying at last year’s Prayer Breakfast he was worried he wouldn’t make it past the pearly gates. Twelve months later, he said he had been trying to be funny.
“I say ‘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,” Trump meandered.
He then went on one of his signature detours: “You know religion is 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.’ The New York Times did a front-page story that Donald Trump is questioning his life and the meaning of his life,” Trump claimed.
“No, I was just having fun. I really think I probably should make it,” Trump continued. “I mean, I’m not a perfect candidate, but I did a hell of a lot of good for perfect people.”
It’s a topic he stumbled onto in October aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, telling huddled reporters, “I don’t think there’s anything going to get me in heaven. I really don’t. I think I’m not maybe heaven-bound.
“I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to make heaven, but I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.”
The Prayer Breakfast has historically been a non-partisan affair, but during his speech, Trump found ways to politicize it. He did at least manage to stick to the theme of religion, questioning “how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat.”
Audible groans were heard from the audience.
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