Trump defends Noem, Gabbard and Bondi at National Prayer Breakfast
By Nandita Bose and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump defended three members of his cabinet whose actions have come under scrutiny and heaped praise on U.S. military might in a freewheeling speech at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday.
Trump frequently deflected the teleprompter in his remarks to religious leaders and lawmakers, touting themes of law and order and America’s power abroad in a speech he could easily have made at one of his ubiquitous political rallies.
He warned Hamas fighters in Gaza to disarm or suffer the consequences, introduced First Lady Melania Trump’s new documentary, and praised Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for defending CEGOT, a mega-prison to which the United States has sent hundreds of mostly Venezuelan immigrants.
In one of his few religious references, he quoted the Bible verse “blessed are the pure in heart” and wondered if he possessed those qualities. “I’m not sure that necessarily applies to me,” he said. “Does this work for me? I’m trying.”
He also reflected on his chances of going to heaven, saying, “I really think I should probably do it,” while noting that he “isn’t a perfect candidate.”
Trump rejected calls to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who came under criticism after federal officials shot and killed two Americans protesting Trump’s harsh immigration deportation policies in Minnesota.
“Why would I do this?” he said, praising Noem’s enforcement of the U.S. southern border and her efforts to fight crime.
The outcry over the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis led Trump to replace Noem with White House border czar Tom Homan as head of operations in Minnesota. Trump told NBC News on Wednesday that a “softer touch” was needed on the issue.
Trump also defended national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, who was present at an FBI raid on an election facility in Georgia as part of Trump’s ongoing quest to raise doubts about voting in the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Claims of voting fraud in the 2020 presidential election have been rejected by courts, state governments and members of Trump’s former administration.
Gabbard, whose position often concerns threats from abroad, wrote in a letter to lawmakers Monday that she observed FBI personnel executing a search warrant in Atlanta’s Fulton County and was there “briefly.”
“She’s doing a great job,” Trump said of Gabbard, alluding to Russia’s role in election interference.
He also praised Attorney General Pam Bondi, who he said sent Gabbard to Atlanta.
“Pam wanted him to do it,” he said.
Trump expressed his satisfaction with the events in Venezuela after the US military kidnapped and arrested President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas last month and seized control of the country’s oil.
He said he is currently working with acting president Delcy Rodriguez and that he “gets along wonderfully” with Venezuela.
Trump, who has amassed a large military force in the Middle East and can mobilize it against Iran, praised the power of the United States. military.
“We have an army that all looks like Tom Cruise, but bigger,” he said.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Steve Holland; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair Bell)
