US President Donald Trump vowed to protect the christian values and to champion the anti-abortion campaign at a christian summit – a gathering of religious conservatives in Washington, D.C. on Friday, where he received an heroic reception.
He was applauded multiple times. receiving a standing ovation as the first-ever sitting president to address the Values Voter Summit, a yearly gathering of social conservatives at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington. The summit was standing room only while the president spoke, the room packed to the gills with cheering conservatives snapping photos of the president.
Trump, who has become a hero on the religious right for early actions on abortion and religious liberty, cast his governing philosophy as one steeped in Biblical principles.
“In America we don’t worship government, we worship God,” Trump said.
“We know that parents, not bureaucrats, know best how to raise their children and create a thriving society,” he added. “We know that faith and prayer — not federal regulation, and by the way, we are cutting regulations at a clip that nobody has ever seen before.”
The president brought the crowd to its feet as he dipped into the culture wars and blamed “politically correct” liberals of warring against American traditions, like the celebration of Christmas.
“As we approach the end of the year, you know, we’re getting near that beautiful Christmas season that people don’t talk about any more. They don’t use the word ‘Christmas’ because it’s not politically correct. You go to department stores and they’ll say ‘Happy New Year’ and they’ll say other things. And it’ll be red, they’ll have it painted, but they don’t say – well, guess what? We’re saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again.”
“How times have changed,” he added. “You know, now they’re changing back again. Just remember that. “
The room also exploded with excitement when Trump mentioned his respect for the American flag. The president has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with NFL players who have been kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality.
He also paid tribute to victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, fires in California and hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, earlier in his speech.