President Donald Trump hosted CEOs and business leaders who donate to faith charities at the White House on Monday.
Trump and the White House Faith Office hosted a luncheon with the leaders to encourage them to continue investing in the faith initiative, which was created by the president in February.
“From the earliest days of our Republic, the steady compass of faith has guided the strong hands of American workers, builders and entrepreneurs, like really no other,” Trump said at the event. “Our country was founded by pilgrims and believers, and every generation since Americans of faith have built our communities and forged new industries and enriched our country by millions and millions of people and ways.”
The event included more than 60 CEOs and business leaders, including Hobby Lobby founder David Greene and Jockey International CEO Debra Waller, Fox News reported. Trump shouted out leaders from JC Penny, Goodyear and other organizations.
A full list of attendees was not available, but Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Small Business Administration administrator Kelly Loeffler were at the White House for the event.
Trump said during the event that he believes the reason he won the election last November was because Democrats were trying to “take God and religion out of your lives.”
“We have to bring religion back into the country. And we’re starting to do that, I think, at a very high level,” he said.
Trump established the White House Faith Office in February with the aim to “empower faith-based entities” and organizations to better serve communities. It’s part of the administration’s larger push to defend religious liberty.
In May, Trump signed an executive order to establish a presidential Religious Liberty Commission. It is composed of former U.S. Housing Secretary Ben Carson, TV talk-show host Phil McGraw and others.