Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL) was showered with accolades after he stood just feet away from Donald Trump and prayed for God to improve the president's moral failings.
The Illinois Democrat and son of civil rights giant Jesse Jackson delivered the intercession Thursday morning at the bipartisan National Prayer Breakfast, where he asked God to open the 79-year-old president's heart to greater compassion as Trump stood behind him with his eyes cast down.
"We pray that he would be mindful of the poor and that the good, and that he would be invested in the elevation, the alleviation of suffering happening on farms in the Midwest and the families preparing to bury their loved ones in Minneapolis remind him that we are all Americans," the congressman prayed. "All made in the image of God and that none of us are free unless all of us have our freedoms protected. Many people are not lazy, many people are simply tired, many people simply are not okay."
"Matthew 25 teaches us that faith, that our gifts are given from God and that we should show them with compassion towards others," Jackson added. "But most of all we pray that you would work out your will in his life."
Jackson was applauded for his courage to call out the president in front of him and the gathering of religious and political leaders.
"Courage is contagious," said former prosecutor Joyce White Vance. "Let’s keep going."
"This brave man has single-handedly salvaged what little was left of any genuine spirituality at the National Prayer Breakfast," applauded retired librarian morereading. "This is speaking truth to power in the best tradition of MLK."
"MLK is actually his Godfather and namesake!" pointed out Bluesky user David Sainez. "He is Jonathan Luther Jackson, a Democratic representative from Illinois."
"Of course we’ll hear about it in a late night rant," groaned Bluesky user Sure Bongiovi. "When you’re almost 80, old ducks rarely change their ways-esp malignant dementia-addled narcissistic ones. But Rep Jackson D-IL made a great point. Good for him."
"Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL): We pray that you [God] lead this president to greater levels of compassion," wrote Illinois State professor Yusuf Sarfati. "God: Sorry, that's above my pay grade."
"Ooh at 54sec, after the speaker spent 20sec on 'the president having the power to bring suffering or compassion' etc, his eyebrows shot right up in that same smarmy way he gets when he feels he was scolded," noted Bluesky user Granuailynn. "Brave to have said that 🤔 ofc no reaction to anything else b/c it wasn’t directly about him."
"Wonder what 47 said to him at the end," wondered Bluesky user Stacey.
"Uh oh. Somebody’s about to get audited," warned Bluesky user Sha Val.
"It's quite something that when a someone talks about compassion, the poor, alleviate suffering, to do what is right, that we are all Americans -- everything thinks this is blatant and pointed attack on Trump and the GOP," observed Bluesky user leemarvinoswald. "What have we become?"
