The MaddowBlog-The key lesson from Trump's embarrassing National Prayer Breakfast speech
Those who thought Trump might approach the event with any maturity or solemnity were kidding themselves: He has anti-gravitas.
The key lesson from Trump’s embarrassing National Prayer Breakfast speech
— News Wire - World 🌎 Independent News Network Pro-Democracy (@democracyblue.bsky.social) 2026-02-07T14:13:25.674Z
Those who thought Trump might approach the event with any maturity or solemnity were kidding themselves: He has anti-gravitas. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-national-prayer-breakfast-2026
President Trump attacked Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, an outspoken critic of the president, during his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday, calling him a ‘moron.’ […]
Trump then attacked Democrats in his speech saying, ‘I don’t know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat. I really don’t.’ Later, Trump repeated his false claims that he won the popular vote in 2016 and that his 2020 loss to former president Joe Biden was ‘rigged.’
Over the course of roughly 75 minutes, the Republican turned the National Prayer Breakfast into a roast of sorts, lashing out at enemies, condemning immigrants, peddling absurd election conspiracy theories, expressing annoyance that House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to pray before meals, lying about the repeal of the Johnson Amendment (which still has not actually happened, no matter how many times Trump claims otherwise) — all while complaining about transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The president even took the opportunity to boast about the efficacy of the deadly military operations he’d ordered.
Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast: "We hit 'em. And we want to hit 'em right, sir, and we want to hit them from the top! East, west, north, south. Sir, they won't know what the hell! And we'll knock them out. We did it politically correct. Five years."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-02-05T14:21:04.999Z
At another point, Trump decided it’d be a good idea to mock Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over the Democrat’s recent emphasis on honoring the Constitution.
Trump on Minnesota: "If we didn't have to fight this horrible governor and this horrible fake mayor -- Frey. 'This is the Constitution of the United States.' People don't want to be mugged!"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-02-05T14:44:40.760Z
,,,,,Those who assumed Trump would approach the National Prayer Breakfast with a degree of maturity or solemnity were kidding themselves: He has a void where his gravitas should be.
Every speech, interview and appearance, public or private, is rooted in the same conspiratorial and grievance-filled foundation. The president was an embarrassment to himself on Thursday, not because he tried and failed to honor the occasion and to respect his audience, but because it apparently never occurred to him to bother in the first place.
