President Trump on Wednesday will address the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, an annual event that brings together church leadership and conservatives in government.
The event, which was postponed from March because of the coronavirus pandemic, is set this year to honor Attorney General William Barr for his “long history of dedicated public service and his commitment to the defense of the vulnerable and religious liberty.” In years past, it has featured speeches from Trump administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and former acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.
Trump will deliver his remarks virtually. He is the second president to address the event. Former President George W. Bush addressed the NCPB three times.
“We are delighted and grateful that this year the president will provide remarks at our virtual event,” NCPB event chairman Mark Randall said. “He and his administration have consistently promoted policies that protect our religious freedom and recognize the rights of the most vulnerable among us, the unborn.”
Trump’s presence comes as he shifts his campaign’s focus more toward religious liberty and abortion, two issues of great importance to many Catholic voters. Throughout the summer, the Trump campaign consistently hammered Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for his opposition to the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal funding for most abortions, and his promise to renew litigation against the Little Sisters of the Poor if elected president.
After the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, Trump increased the urgency of his rhetoric. At an event in North Carolina on Saturday, he told a crowd that “there will be no God” if Biden is elected, referring to the sort of person the former vice president would pick to replace Ginsburg.
Two of the favorites on Trump’s Supreme Court shortlist are Catholic women: appellate judges Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa.
