Bulwark Takes — “Spewing HATE At The Prayer Breakfast?”

Date: February 11, 2026
Host: The Bulwark Team (Speaker: Will Saletan)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Will Saletan scrutinizes Donald Trump’s recent appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast, critically assessing Trump’s public statements by comparing them directly to fundamental Christian teachings. Through a review of Trump’s speech, Saletan highlights the contradictions between Trump’s rhetoric and core biblical principles, particularly the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. The episode questions not only Trump’s relationship to Christian values but also the complicity of religious audiences who applaud or laugh at these moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Contradictions with the Ten Commandments

• “You shall not steal”

  • Trump brags about taking Venezuelan oil:

    “That’s Venezuela’s oil. We didn’t pay for it. We just went in and we kidnapped their dictator, and then we told them that we would attack their country again if they didn’t let us control their oil.”
    — Will Saletan [02:23]

  • Saletan argues this is tantamount to theft, highlighting Trump’s moral divergence from biblical injunctions against stealing.

• “You shall not murder”

  • Pardoning military accused of murder:

    “They have arrested American soldiers... We teach people how to fight, and then you put them in jail because they fought a little bit too hard, and we took care of a lot of business.”
    — Trump [03:29]

  • Saletan: “The Bible says, don’t murder people, but Trump says, if you do and you’re wearing our uniform, it’s okay with me.” [03:58]

• “You shall not bear false witness”

  • Lies about Biden and the 2020 election:
    • Trump falsely claims Biden abandoned military equipment in Afghanistan and repeats the debunked claim of a "rigged" 2020 election:

      “They rig the election.” — Trump [05:11]

    • Audience reaction: The religious crowd laughs at the claim, suggesting tacit approval of dishonesty.

• “You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain”

  • Trump claims divine endorsement for his success:

    “You’re going to win it because God wants you to win it.” — Trump [06:14]

  • Saletan critiques this as self-serving piety, with the audience enthusiastically applauding.

2. Violations of Teachings from the Sermon on the Mount

• Blessed are the meek / poor in spirit

  • Trump openly admits his actions are motivated by ego, not humility:

    “I needed it for my own ego. Now I really have a big ego, though.” — Trump [07:31]

• Do not judge, or you too will be judged

  • Trump mocks and insults opponents:
    • On Rep. Thomas Massie: “This moron…” [08:59]
    • On Joe Biden: “Crooked Joe and Sleepy Joe…they poll about even.” [09:08]
    • On Jerome Powell: “He’s like a knucklehead. Stupid guy.” [09:25]
  • Saletan highlights the hypocrisy of criticism coming from someone engaging in the same behaviors Jesus warned against.

• Love your enemies

  • Trump explicitly rejects this teaching:

    “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry.” — Trump [11:19]

  • Saletan observes that Trump even goes off-script to contradict the intended Christian message.

• Mercy and forgiveness

  • Trump boasts about crushing opponents and enjoys their struggles:

    “Beating these lunatics was incredible, right? What a great feeling, winning every swing state...” — Trump [12:22]
    “Biden and his administration was one of the meanest...they’re having a hard time getting jobs, and that’s the way it should be.” — Trump [12:40]

• Turn the other cheek

  • Trump advocates harsh, even violent, responses:

    “When you have horrible killings, you have to take horrible actions.” — Trump [13:16]

  • On domestic conflicts:

    “If a man has a little fight with the wife, they say, this was a crime.” — Trump [14:00]

  • Saletan pauses here to emphasize Trump’s disregard for nonviolence, even in personal relationships.

3. Materialism vs. Biblical Warnings about Wealth

• Trump frequently praises monetary success and prioritizes wealth:

  “He’s going to have more liquid gold coming out of the ground than anybody’s ever seen before.” — Trump [14:57]
  “He made a lot of money, which I like…I like people that make money.” — Trump [15:11]

• Trump conflates faith with financial well-being:

  “If your taxes go up 68%, you might give up your religion.” — Trump [15:41]

• Saletan reacts: “This is a prayer breakfast. But Trump cannot stop talking about money and how much he loves rich people.” [15:18]

4. Showmanship & Religious Hypocrisy

• Trump boasts about his religious contributions:

  “I’ve done more for religion than any other president. When Paula was saying that, it was so nice...” — Trump [16:35]

• Saletan’s closing note: “To Trump, God isn’t real. God is a prop in a show that’s all about Trump. And religion is just another thing Trump can claim to be better at than any other president.” [16:43]
• The audience’s laughter and applause are repeatedly called out as evidence of complicity and a departure from actual Christian values.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On stealing and Venezuela:

  “That’s Venezuela’s oil. We didn’t pay for it. We just went in and...told them we would attack their country again if they didn’t let us control their oil.”
  — Will Saletan [02:23]

• On military pardons:

  “We teach people how to fight, and then you put them in jail because they fought a little bit too hard, and we took care of a lot of business.”
  — Trump [03:29]

• On the 2020 Election and audience reactions:

  “They rig the election.”
  — Trump [05:11]
  “Did you hear the laughter? This is a religious audience, a Christian audience. Trump is lying…and they laugh.”
  — Will Saletan [05:15]

• Rejecting “love your enemies”:

  “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.”
  — Trump [11:19]

• On violence at home:

  “If a man has a little fight with the wife, they say, this was a crime.”
  — Trump [14:00]

• Money and faith conflated:

  “If your taxes go up 68%, you might give up your religion.”
  — Trump [15:41]

• Self-promotion at a prayer breakfast:

  “I’ve done more for religion than any other president.”
  — Trump [16:35]

Key Timestamps

• [01:00] — Will Saletan introduces the Trump speech analysis theme.
• [02:17] - [03:29] — Trump’s Venezuela oil comments and military pardons.
• [04:37] - [05:15] — False claims about Biden, Afghanistan, and election fraud; audience laughter.
• [06:14] - [06:37] — Trump invokes divine endorsement for his political victories.
• [07:31] - [08:21] — Trump’s egotism vs. biblical meekness and humility.
• [08:59] - [09:34] — Personal insults; mocking others at a religious event.
• [11:19] — Trump’s explicit rejection of compassion for opponents.
• [12:22] - [12:50] — Gloating over rivals’ misfortune.
• [13:16] - [13:38] — Advocacy for harsh retaliation, focus on violence.
• [14:00] — Comments on domestic conflict and crime.
• [14:57] - [15:41] — Obsession with wealth and conflation of material gain with faith.
• [16:35] - [16:43] — Trump’s ultimate self-promotion and Saletan’s closing critique.

Tone and Language

The tone is pointed, sometimes incredulous, with Saletan maintaining a blend of factual analysis and sharp criticism. Direct quotations from both Trump and Saletan illustrate the disconnect between Trump’s statements and Christian doctrine, using the guest’s own words to drive the critique. The language is accessible, candid, and often employs irony or sarcasm to underscore the disconnect between statement and principle.

Takeaway

Saletan ultimately argues that Trump’s rhetoric and behavior at religious gatherings starkly contradict basic Christian ethics, and he points to the audience’s laughter and applause as evidence of widespread moral compromise. The episode is a call to reflect on the authenticity of public faith and warns against exchanging moral substance for partisan spectacle.