JD Vance defends Trump, families and American values at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

The Trump administration will stand up for religious freedom and oppose the persecution of Christians, Vice President JD Vance told Catholics at a national prayer breakfast in Washington, D.C.

“I feel very confident in saying that between protecting the rights of pro-life protesters, between ensuring that we have an opportunity to protect the rights of the unborn in the first place and importantly protecting the religious liberty of all people, but in particular Catholics, I think that we can say that President Trump, though not a Catholic himself, has been an incredibly good president for Catholics in the United States of America,” Vance said at the 20^th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast Friday. 

The vice president explained how he and Trump have reversed Biden administration policies that “liked to throw people in jail for silently praying outside” abortion clinics and “harass pro-life fathers of seven, very often Catholic fathers, for participating in the pro-life movement,” along with protecting taxpayer funding for abortion “right up until the moment of birth. 

“On every single one of those issues, in 30 short days Donald J. Trump has gone in the exact opposite direction. And I am thankful for that, and I’m sure that every single person in this room is thankful for that as well,” said Vance, a Republican who is likely the first Catholic convert to be vice president. 

Other highlights included how the Trump administration has pursued a foreign policy of peace, with an eye toward protecting “historical Christian communities all over the world. 

“When President Trump talks about the need to bring peace, whether it’s in Russia and Ukraine, whether it’s in the Middle East, we of course have to recognize that as… an effort to protect the religious liberty of Christians, because over the past 40 years it has often been historical Christian communities who bear the brunt of failed American foreign policy.” 

Vance spoke of praying daily with his kids for the health of Pope Francis, who has criticized some of Trump’s immigration policies and is currently hospitalized. Vance said he greatly respects the Pope and even read an excerpt from his March 2020 homily at the start of COVID-19 that still gives him courage today. 

The excerpt talked about “keeping alive the memory of those who have gone before us,” so that we don’t “deprive ourselves of the antibodies we need to confront adversity.” 

In a surprising admission, the vice president also said his most meaningful moment from 2024 was not winning the election but seeing his son, Ewan, decide to get baptized into the faith. 

The well-attended breakfast also took a moment to honor Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker. Butker, a devout Catholic who met Thursday with President Trump, was honored for using his success to “fearlessly promote the Catholic faith, defend life and urge others to do the same.”