Trump's Thanksgiving Message for America

President Donald Trump declared that America offers its “endless gratitude to Almighty God” in his Thanksgiving Day proclamation.

Trump began the Thanksgiving Day proclamation by highlighting President George Washington’s establishment of a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. Washington declared that day “the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”

Trump also noted President Abraham Lincoln’s call during the Civil War for “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens” .

“In every generation since, this spirit of reverence, trust, and gratitude has preserved our way of life and made America the strongest, greatest, and most resilient Nation the world has ever known,” Trump’s proclamation states.

Like Washington and Lincoln, Trump invoked God heavily in declaring a National Day of Thanksgiving:

From the pilgrims who settled our continent and the patriots who won our independence on the battlefield to the pioneers who tamed the west and the warriors who have preserved our freedom in distant lands, the spirit of gratitude and grit embodied by those who celebrated the first Thanksgiving more than 400 years ago have stood at the very heart of what it means to be an American.

This year, God has bestowed abundant blessings all across our land and indeed the entire world. As we give thanks to Him, we continue to advance our Nation through strong leadership and commonsense policy. As a result, the American economy is roaring back, we are making progress on lowering the cost of living, a new era of peace is sweeping around the world, our sovereignty is being swiftly restored, and the American spirit is coming back greater and more powerful than ever before.

As we prepare to celebrate 250 glorious years of American independence, this Thanksgiving, we summon the faith, resolve, and unflinching fortitude of the giants of American history who came before us. We vow to build a future that echoes their sacrifice. Above all, we offer our endless gratitude to Almighty God for His love, grace, and infinite blessings.

Trump’s proclamation comes less than a day after a gunman, who authorities say is Afghan alien Rahmanullah Lakanwal, viciously shot National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe just blocks from the White House. Both guardsmen remain in critical condition, and Lakanwal was “severely wounded” as well, according to the president.