President Donald Trump and the White House vowed to continue fighting for religious liberty and protecting Christianity within the United States in recognizing the start of Holy Week on Palm Sunday.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump joined Christians across the nation in remembering Holy Week, the historic event in the Bible when Jesus Christ arrived in Jerusalem before dying on Good Friday and rising from the dead three days later. The president cited Holy Week as a time of reflection for Christians regarding the sacrifice Jesus made before His resurrection.
“In His final hours on Earth, Christ willingly endured excruciating pain, torture, and execution on the cross out of a deep and abiding love for all His creation,” the White House’s statement read. “Through His suffering, we have redemption. Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins. Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness—signaling that death does not have the final word.”
As part of the White House’s remembrance of Holy Week, the administration promised to continue protecting the Christian faith across the nation’s institutions, including schools, workplaces, and the government. The White House also prayed that the U.S. would remain “a beacon of faith, hope, and freedom” for the world.
The White House Faith Office has stated that the administration will continue to celebrate Holy Week, which will include a video of Trump discussing the week on Monday along with an Easter dinner on Wednesday, which will feature hymns from the Marine Corps Band and Christian opera by singer Charles Billingsley, according to Fox News Digital.
GREAT AMERICAN MEDIA UNVEILS ‘40 DAYS OF LENT’ PROGRAMMING TO CELEBRATE EASTER
Additionally, Trump is expected to host a staff worship service at the White House on Thursday, which will include Reverend Franklin Graham and Pastors Paula White, Greg Laurie and Jentezen Franklin. Thursday’s worship service will also feature worship music performed by Liberty University, a Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Over the weekend, Saturday Night Live drew ire from Christians for its skit featuring Jesus flipping tables at the temple, which was interrupted by Trump calling himself “Donald Jesus Trump.” The president, portrayed by James Austin Johnson, also claimed that “the stock market did a Jesus” by rising again on the third day, referring to how the stock market recovered once Trump delayed most of his mass tariffs on other countries.