Overview
- Johnson argued Jefferson’s Danbury Baptist letter shows the First Amendment protects religion from government encroachment, urging a renewed turn to prayer and calling the nation’s struggle a spiritual battle.
- A message from President Donald Trump, read by policy director Vince Haley, pledged to defend Catholics’ freedom to worship, as Haley also highlighted a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents cited by the ADL’s 2025 report.
- House Majority Whip Steve Scalise recounted his recovery after the 2017 congressional baseball shooting, crediting prayer and framing it as evidence of faith’s sustaining role.
- Conservative commentator Michael Knowles warned of persistent anti-Catholic bias in U.S. life, a concern Johnson echoed before an audience reported at over 1,500 attendees.
- Retired Archbishop Joseph Naumann read a papal letter encouraging prayer for national leaders, and attorney Claire Lai appealed for action on behalf of her imprisoned father, Hong Kong media figure Jimmy Lai.