Easter Sunday is a special day for many Americans across the country, a day that celebrates resurrection and new beginnings.
President Trump delivered a hopeful Easter message from the Oval Office to the nation alongside Bishop Harry Jackson.
While COVID-19 has upended virtually ever aspect of American life, Trump pledged that “our nation will come through like never before.”
The timing of Trump’s message couldn’t be more perfect.
As New York battles its worst week of the pandemic and as millions of Americans worry about their next paycheck, Trump wanted everyone listening to “focus on prayer, reflection and growing in our personal relationship with God.”
See more of President Trump’s Easter comments, which he delivered on Good Friday, below:
While other leaders have worried about being politically correct, President Trump hasn't been afraid to talk about his faith.
Furthermore, he's used his faith in an attempt to inspire a nation that is currently afraid and unsure what tomorrow will bring.
Fox News has more details on Trump's Easter message for the entire nation:
President Trump delivered a hopeful Easter message from the Oval Office on Friday, thanking Americans for their prayers, acknowledging the difficult road ahead as the nation navigates the coronavirus pandemic and promising that "our nation will come through like never before."
Trump was joined by Bishop Harry Jackson as he made brief remarks before the bishop delivered a message on Good Friday and prayed out of some Bible verses on behalf of the nation.
"At this holy time our nation is engaged in a battle like never before, the invisible enemy. Our brave doctors, nurses and responders ... are fighting to save lives," Trump said. "Our workers are racing to deliver critical medical supplies. Our best scientists are working around the clock to develop lifesaving therapeutics."
Trump thanked the workers "making tremendous sacrifices to end this pandemic" and asked Americans to pray for God to "give strength to the doctors, nurses and health care workers."
Additionally, he suggested that Americans use the time they are spending home, many of them under state-issued "stay-at-home" orders to stem the spread of the coronavirus, to "focus on prayer, reflection and growing in our personal relationship with God."
"Your prayers are felt and I am forever grateful," Trump said of Americans praying for him and his leadership during the coronavirus crisis.
As Jackson began his remarks he thanked Trump for including churches in relief efforts from the federal government, saying that many "churches would have had to close down had it not been for your insightful leadership."
Good Friday is also a meaningful day for many Christians. It is the day when Jesus was crucified.
However, three days later, the Bible says that Jesus rose again.
President Trump and Bishop Harry Jackson noted that Good Friday was a dark day, but was followed by a glorious day.
Similarly, these might feel like dark times in America, but better days are ahead and COVID-19's days are numbered.
The pandemic will not win in the end.
The media have criticized President Trump for his previous statement that he would have liked to see the country open up by Easter.
However, that comment was taken out of context.
Trump never said that he was going to push for the country to be back to normal by Easter.
Rather, it was an aspirational goal that was always going to be dependent on what the data showed.
Now that Easter weekend is upon us, Trump wants to use the holiday to remind Americans that there is always hope.
According to the White House transcript, President Trump invoked the words of the Prophet Isaiah:
I thank the many families who have prayed for me and for my family. And your prayers are felt, and I am forever grateful.
I’d like to thank our great Vice President and his wonderful wife, who we all know very well, Karen, for the incredible job they do and for their service not only to the country but for their service to God.
Almost 3,000 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah wrote these words: “Darkness covers the Earth…but the Lord rises upon you, and His glory appears over you…For the Lord will be your everlasting light.”
As our nation battles the invisible enemy, we reaffirm that Americans believe in the power of prayer. We give thanks for the majesty of creation and for the gift of eternal life. And we place our trust in the hands of Almighty God.
I’d like to just wish everybody a very Happy Easter. We’re going to be celebrating that very, very special day, and it’s going to be, hopefully, a very good weekend and a very productive weekend.
And I want to thank everybody in our country and beyond for all they’ve had to put up with. One hundred and eighty-four countries, as of this morning, are fighting this enemy and we pray for them all.
It is reported that mainstream news outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and ABC all cut away from the Easter blessing.
Like Trump's daily coronavirus briefings, it appears that Fox News is the only network that stayed fully on the newsbreaking moment.
Thank you, President Trump, for aiming to unite, inspire, and revive all Americans!
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