Donald Trump suggested Monday it's divine intervention that he will be president as the U.S. holds the 2026 World Cup, 2028 summer Olympics and the United States' 250th Independence Day.
Speaking at the Museum of the Bible on Monday morning, Trump said it was God's intention to have him in office right now, instead of winning reelection in 2020 and serving out his second term through 2024.
'Isn't it amazing the way God works?,' Trump said to a room of chuckling faith leaders.
The president was the keynote speaker for the second hearing of the new Religious Liberties Commission in Washington, D.C. on Monday, where the panel was focused on discussing protecting religious liberties at public schools.
Trump said that he penned the deals during his first term to get FIFA to hold its 2026 World Cup in North America next summer and for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to vote to hold the 2028 Summer games in California.
'When I was president, I got the World Cup and I got the Olympics - I got them to choose us, Los Angeles. And I was very proud of it. The only problem was I wasn't going to be president because I wouldn't have served out, normally, my time,' he said.
Trump then said that losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden was God's way to make sure he was president to see him carry out the events he secured. He repeated his claim that the election was 'rigged' by 'very bad people.'
The president announced that the Department of Education is soon releasing new guidance on protecting the right for students, teachers and staff to pray at schools.
The guidance updates federal guidance regarding protected prayer and religious expression in public schools, which has not been issued since 2003.
President Donald Trump said God wanted him to be president for the U.S. to host the 2026 World Cup, 2028 summer Olympics and the 250th anniversary of Independence Day
Trump invited on stage at the Museum of the Bible on Monday California student Shea Encinas, 12, who shared his story about how his public school infringed on his religious liberties
As part of the initiative to protect religious liberties at public schools, Trump invited a 12-year-old student to share his story about his California school infringing on his religion.
Shea Encinas shared a story from when he was in the 5th grade and was 'forced' to read a book to his 'kindergarten buddy' about transgenderism.
'The book said you can choose your gender based on feelings, instead of how God made us,' Encinas detailed. 'I knew this was not right, but I was afraid of getting in trouble.'
The California student said from the podium that his family 'spoke up' and it resulted in him and his brother being bullied by other kids and the school district 'treating us badly.'
'It hurt a lot, but I kept trusting God. I believe kids like me should be able to live our faith at school without being forced to go against what we believe. I hope no other family has to go through what we did,' he concluded.
The book and short video titled 'My Shadow is Pink' is about a young boy who is born with a pink shadow and likes things that other boys don't - like princesses and fairies. It's mean to teach children about transgenderism.
But Encinas' parents argue that this teaching was against their religion and that they do not believe people are born in the wrong bodies.
They and another family demanded that parents receive advance notice and abilities for their children to opt-out of gender-related content - but the district refused and said notification is not required because it wasn't part of an official health class but the 'kinderbuddy' program.
The two families filed a federal lawsuit, claiming the school's actions violated their First Amendment rights to direct their children's religious upbringing.
On May 13 this year, U.S. District Court Judge James Lorenz ruled in favor of the families, and ordered Encinitas Union School District must provide notification and opt-out opportunities for gender identity topics.
Trump on Monday lauded his executive order that ended federal funding for schools that he says push 'transgender ideology' onto kids.
'On Day One of my administration, I signed an executive order to slash federal funding for any school that pushes transgender insanity on our youth,'
the president said to wild cheers from the crowd at the Museum of the Bible on Monday.
Trump spoke at the second hearing of the Religious Liberties Commission at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. on Monday, September 8.
Trump was flanked by the Religious Liberties Commission members, which serves under the Department of Justice and is tasked with producing a report in spring 2026 on how to protect religion at public schools.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick chairs the commission and Trump's first-term Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Dr.Ben Carson serves as vice chair.
Also on the panel and at Monday's hearing was Dr.Phil McGraw , Pastor Franklin Graham and Pastor Paula White .
Three other students spoke before Trump's arrival , telling stories about how their religious liberties were infringed upon at public schools across America .
One school girl , Lydia Booth , said when she was just nine-years-old she was barred from wearing her ‘Jesus Loves Me’ mask when schools returned from COVID-19 lockdown in Mississippi .
Justin Aguilar said his school attempted to censor him from invoking the name of Jesus Christ during his valedictorian speech , and Valerie Cleveringa said her school tried to stop her and her brother from singing songs that mentioned God during a talent show .