President Trump met with the members of his cabinet for the first time on February 26^th, and the session was opened up with a prayer, led by Scott Turner, the new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Turner is a former NFL player and previously served as an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. Turner opened his prayer thanking God for the “awesome privilege” and asking that he and his colleagues would lead with “righteous clarity.” “Father the Bible says that blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,” Turner stated as President Trump and members of the cabinet bowed their heads in prayer. “Father today we honor You in Your rightful place and thank You for giving us this opportunity to restore faith in this country and be a blessing to the people of America, and we pray in our meeting that You would be glorified in our conversation. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Prior to the meeting, the President made several remarks about his agenda, including his concerns with the war in Ukraine. He particularly raised concerns about the disparate amount the US has paid to Ukraine versus European nations, noting the US was paying three times more than any other nation. “The previous administration put us in a very bad position, but we’ve been able to make a deal where we’re going to get our money back and we’re going to get a lot of money in the future.  And I think that’s appropriate, because we have taxpayers that are — shouldn’t be footing the bill, and they shouldn’t be footing the bill at more than the Europeans are paying.”

Apart from Turner, there are a number of self-professing Christians on Trump’s second term Cabinet. Russell Vought is the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and has been an outspoken Christian, with his critics raising concerns that he is a Christian nationalist. His alma mater, Wheaton College, stirred controversy when it congratulated Vought on his new post, only to retract the congratulations after receiving criticism. Kristi Noem, Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security has also spoken often of her faith, stating on her campaign website, “I want to be obedient to whatever God has called me to do.” Doug Collins, the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, holds a Master degree in divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and served as the Southern Baptist chaplain in the Air Force Reserve.