declared, blessed is the nation whose god is the lord. anis absolutely indisputable fact that our nation was founded on a love for god and a reference for his word. the cousins that, we have experienced the undeserved favor of god upon our country. fact also an indisputable that in recent years, there have been those who have tried to separate our nation from its spiritual foundation. that reality has caused many of us, many christians to despair and wonder, is god finished with america? our best days over? in the midst of that despair came november the eighth, 2016. [applause] day represented the greatest political upset in american history. [cheering] day,cause it was on that november 8, that god declared that the people, not the pollsters, were going to choose the next president of the united states. and they chose donald trump. [applause] you know this, you have heard it often. trump won won the evangelical vote by the largest margin in history because christians understood that he alone had the leadership skills necessary to reverse the downward death spiral our nation was then. , since thatime time, everywhere i go, i find that people are even more excited about president trump than they were on election day. it is easy to understand why. president trump has not only met exceeded our every expectation in reviving the economy, rebuilding our military, respecting our veterans and restoring our greatest freedom of all, the free exercise of our faith. [applause] trump has done more to protect religious liberty than any president in united states history, and we are grateful to him for that. you know, the single greatest honor of my life was when president trump invited me to deliver the sermon at st. john's church on the morning of his inauguration. and in that message, i said, no president has ever entered the oval office with as many natural abilitiesleadership as president trump. but i also noted that president trump would be the first to say that natural ability alone is not enough to meet the awesome challenges of that office. that is why president trump, like every american president, has sought god's supernatural help. i will never forget that message so many of us saw that the president tweeted from israel several months ago. do you remember the picture? it was a picture of president trump standing in front of the western wall. his head was bowed. his eyes were closed. at the bottom of that tweet, he wrote, i am asking for god's wisdom. that is one reason i am so enthusiastically supportive of this president. [applause] , millions of americans believe that the election of president trump represented god giving us another chance, perhaps our last chance to truly make america great again. how grateful we are. we thank god everyday that he gave us a leader like president trump beard would you join me now in welcoming a great later came a -- leader, a great president, president trump. cheering]and ♪ ♪ trump: thank you very much. this is some group. nice to win, isn't it? robert, thank you very much for that incredible introduction, and thank you to everyone from first baptist dallas. thank you. [applause] pastor, you and amy have stood with us since the very beginning, and i will always stand with you. i have told you that and i mean that. i will always be with you. i appreciate it. thank you. [applause] and i am honored to join you at the first-ever fourth of july freedom rally taking place here at the kennedy center as we take you to those who have proudly served our nation in uniform. thank you very much. [applause] tonight, we have been inspired by music that fills our hearts, stirs our souls, and reminds us all of who we are -- one nation under god. [applause] the first baptist music director, and to every musician and member of the choir who has performed with such incredible grace and skill -- and i heard them backstage -- i said, let me out there. that is the most beautiful music. [applause] beautiful. i just want to say that your music honors our heroes more eloquently than words could ever do. and i just want to thank you. that is real talent standing behind me. thank you, folks. [applause] and let me say to the hundreds of veterans tonight that for my very first independence day celebration as president, there is no place i would rather be than with you. i will tell you that. [applause] and i promise you -- and you see it happening day by day -- just the other day we signed veterans accountability. they have been trying to do it for 40 years. [applause] for 40 years they have been trying. you couldn't fire somebody. they were doing a terrible job for the veterans. robbing, stealing, hurting people. you couldn't do anything. it is called the veterans accountability act, and now you can say "you're fired." [applause] thank you. i promise you we will always take care of our great veterans. always. right, louis? better believe it. and paula is up there. paula white has been so helpful. thank you. i love you too, actually. [applause] you've shed your blood. you've poured your love. and you've bared your soul in defense of our country come our people, and our great american flag. your loyalty to our nation is measured not merely in words, but in deeds. you race through gunfire, stare down enemy forces, and ran past the gates of hell to fight and to win for america, and you won for america, and we are going to take care of it. [applause] thank you. the story of america's men and women in uniform is the story of freedom and overcoming oppression, the strong protecting the weak, and the good defeating evil. there's a lot of evil out there. i want to tell you, there's a lot of evil. i was left a mess, the fact is. but we're cleaning it up -- but we are cleaning it up, you watch. cleaning it up. [applause] cleaning it up. we are awed by your service and your sacrifice, and so to the veterans here tonight, which there are many, would you please stand right now? please stand. thank you. [applause] on behalf of our very grateful nation -- thank you very much. thank you very much. we will always, always were member what you did for us. tonight we celebrate veterans -- always remember what you did for us. tonight we celebrate veterans and reflect on everything we love about our country. we love our families, we love our freedom, and we love our god. [applause] since the signing of the declaration of independence 241 years ago, america always affirmed that liberty comes from our creator. our rights are given to us by god, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away. [applause] that is why my administration is transferring power out of washington and returning that power back to where it belongs, to the people. [applause] to the people. the fake media is trying to silence us, but we will not let them, because the people know the truth. [applause] the fake media tried to stop us from going to the white house, but i'm president and they're not. [applause] we won and they lost. the fact is, the press has destroyed themselves because they went too far. instead of being subtle and smart, they use a hatchet, and the people saw it right from the beginning. the dishonest media will never keep us from accomplishing our objectives on behalf of our great american people. it will never happen. [applause] their agenda is not your agenda. you've been saying it. i will never stop fighting for you. i am delivering on trade, on the economy, on the supreme court, on the second amendment, on our military, for our veterans, and on our borders, where we are doing record stoppage. [applause] thank you. and we are supporting our incredible police and law enforcement. [applause] we will save american lives, protect american sovereignty, and we will ensure the forgotten men and women of our country are never forgotten again. [applause] for too long, politicians have tried -- oh have they tried -- to centralize authority among a small few in our nation's capital. i see them all the time. bureaucrats think they can run over your lives, overrule your values, meddle in your faith and tell you how to live, what to say, and how to pray. but we know, not bureaucrats, we will create a thriving society. [applause] and we know that families and churches -- not government officials -- know best how to create a strong and loving community. [applause] and above all else, we know this. in america, we don't worship government. we worship god. [applause] >> usa, usa, usa. pres. trump: our religious liberty is enshrined in the very first amendment of the bill of rights. the american founders invoke our creator four times in the declaration of independence. benjamin franklin reminded his colleagues at the constitutional convention to begin by bowing their heads in prayer. i remind you that we are going to start saying "merry christmas" again. [applause] inscribed on our currency are the words "in god we trust." [applause] but not only has god bestowed on us the gift of freedom, he has also given us a gift of heroes willing to give their lives to defend that freedom. you just stood. [applause] in every struggle against evil throughout our history, as america's servicemembers have huddled around campfires and sought refuge in foxholes, they called on their creator for support. in world war ii, when general george patton -- that was a real general. we've got some pattons today, too. [applause] i found them. mad dog mattis. [applause] and he doesn't like doing a lot of talking, but i want to tell you, isis is a whole different ballgame, folks. they are going fast. but when patton ran into a problem that he couldn't solve, he knew what to do. he prayed. frustrated by rains that were stalling the advance of his third army across europe in early december 1944, patton asked an army chaplain to come up with a good prayer for the weather. patton then had one quarter of a million copies of that prayer printed and distributed to the soldiers of the third army just before the battle of the bulge. that was a big one. did very well there. 500,000 american soldiers fought in that pivotal battle of the second world war. one of those soldiers is here with us tonight. his name is harry f miller. where is harry? where is harry? harry, stand up. [applause] thank you, harry. like many of the heroes of his generation, harry wasn't exactly straightforward about his age. when he enlisted in the army reserve -- shame on you, harry -- [laughter] pres. trump: -- he was just 15, but he told them he was old enough to join. then he immediately asked for a transfer to active duty. six months after he enlisted, private miller was on his way to europe to fight for our country. [applause] a couple of months after that he was in the freezing cold -- how cold was it? he said really cold. and in the rains of belgium with the 740th tank battalion attached to the 82nd airborne. as the battle of the bulge began, harry got his orders to go find tanks at a weapon storage facility. when he arrived, he says he and his friends found nothing that tanks -- nothing but tanks. they were all over the place. right? nothing but tanks. but they didn't let the tanks stop them. out of what spare parts they could find and through sheer grit and resolve, they somehow managed to repair three of those tanks and get them set for action and ready to fight. and before long, those three tanks were nose to nose with the lead elements of a german division. that was tough stuff. in a short time, those tanks had knocked out the first three tanks of the enemy and the entire german division retreated. they left. [applause] that's good, harry. that's good, harry. >> harry, harry, harry. [applause] pres. trump: harry fought through the battle and the rest of the war and went to serve for our armed forces for 22 years, retiring as a senior master sergeant. a lot of guts. harry will be 89 tomorrow. 89. [applause] so, on behalf of this very large group in this beautiful building, senior master sergeant miller, happy birthday. thank you for your lifetime of service, and thank you for helping out. thank you very much, harry. [applause] to every veteran with us tonight from every branch of the military, army, navy, marines, air force, and coast guard, i want you to know that we will always keep our promises to those who have kept us free. since my very first day in office, we have taken one action after another to make sure that our veterans get the care they so richly deserve. we have published wait times. those wait times were bad, weren't they? but boy are they getting better, and fast. and we published them at every v.a. facility, delivered same-day mental health services at every v.a. medical center, nearly double -- [applause] -- the number of veterans given approvals to see the doctor of their choice. [applause] and as i said, just signed, brand-new legislation went through the house, went through the senate, and i signed it so fast. we didn't want to take any chances, right, harry? to ensure every v.a. worker is held accountable for the quality of care they provide to our veterans. [applause] tonight, we are deeply honored number ofed by a wounded warriors from walter reed. i was over there recently. these are incredible people. the enthusiasm and the spirit and some of them who were hurt really badly, they've got so much spirit, and they love this country so much. these american heroes risked everything so that you and i can live in freedom. they gave all they had. everything. for their comrades, their country, and for victory. they like winning. we like winning again, don't we? [applause] you know, in the old days, we used to win. we just sort of keep fighting and fighting and fighting. we are going to win again, folks. we admire their strength, their courage, and we really support that incredible win they have. the will is so strong, and they want to win. they want to win for you. thank you for being here. that's great. [applause] one such hero is captain luis avella. where is he? luis? [applause] we love you, luis. luis, wow. [applause] luis is here tonight, along with his wife claudia. thank you, claudia. thank you, darling. thank you. thank you. [applause] luis served in the army for 16 years. he held many different positions on five combat tours, and was always a leader. and everybody always said -- i've done some checking on you -- that you did a great job no matter where you were, no matter where you went. on his fifth employment, luis bravely led his company on a successful mission to recover vital intelligence. during this critical mission, his vehicle was struck by explosives. luis was gravely wounded and lost his leg. he received a purple heart for his service and sacrifice. to luis and claudia, we will never forget the courageous sacrifice that you made for all of us in this room tonight, and for everyone in our country. thank you. thank you, luis. [applause] i want you all, and all of our incredible wounded warriors to know, you have an entire nation of more than 300 million people behind you, and our nation is getting strong again. do you notice? getting strong again. our hearts and our prayers are joined with yours. your legacy, like our gratitude, will live forever, and i want to thank you. thank you very much. and claudia, thank you very much. thank you. [applause] i also want to speak to all of the people -- you thought i forgot -- in our faith community who are here with us tonight, veterans and nonveterans alike. [applause] you are never going to be forgotten. you will never be forgotten. my administration will always support and defend your religious liberty. [applause] we don't want to see god forced out of the public square, driven out of our schools, or pushed out of our civic life. we want to see prayers before football games if they want to give prayers. [applause] right? we want all children to have the opportunity to know the blessings of god. we will not allow the government to censor sermons, to restrict the free speech of our pastors and our preachers and the people that we most respect. [applause] like robert. [applause] that is why, just as i promised, pastor jefferies and other faith leaders, i just signed an executive order following -- and this is something that makes me very happy and very proud -- following through on my campaign pledge to stop the johnson amendment from interfering with your first amendment rights. [applause] as long as i am president, no one is going to stop you from practicing your faith or from preaching what is in your heart. we want to hear him. [applause] one of the most grave and dire threats to religious freedom in the world today is the threat of terrorism, and specifically, it just seems, it is called radical islamic terrorism. [applause] and we cannot allow this terrorism and extremism to spread in our country or to find sanctuary on our shores or in our cities. [applause] we want to make sure that anyone who seeks to join our country shares our values and has the capacity to love our people. [applause] thank you. together, we will protect our families, our nation, and our borders -- and yes, by the way, for those who are curious, we will build the wall, ok? [applause] because we understand that a country is more than just its geography. a nation is the sum of its citizens, their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations. america is a land rich with history, traditions, and values, and as we have seen tonight -- what a group this is tonight -- america is also a land rich with heroes. [applause] and though we have many stories, we all share one home and one glorious destiny, a destiny that is getting better and better every single day. [applause] and whether we are black or brown or white -- and you have heard me say this before -- we all bleed the same red blood. [applause] we all salute the same great american flag. [applause] and we are all made by the same almighty god. [applause] we face many challenges. there are many hills and mountains to climb, but with the strength and courage of the patriots assembled in this room tonight, we will scare -- and you see it all the time, and we are doing it all the time -- we are scaling those summits, and we will get the job done. [applause] we will all prove worthy of this very important moment in history, and we will prove worthy of the sacrifice that our brave veterans have made. as long as we have pride in our beliefs, courage and our convictions, and faith in our god, we will not fail -- courage in our convictions, and faith in our god, we will not fail. [applause] as long as our country remains true to its values, loyal to its heroes, and devoted to its creator, then our best days are yet to come because we will make america great again. [applause] to my friend pastor jeffers, and paula and and harry and luis, and everyone in this room, and everyone in this country, thank you for your great support. i appreciate it. i will not let you down. to all of our incredible veterans, to the people in the military, and to evangelical christians who came out in record, record, record numbers, thank you. have a wonderful independence day. god bless you. god bless our nation's veterans. god bless the united states of america. thank you very much. thank you. [applause] ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2017] >> this week during the july 4 recess in primetime on c-span, monday at 8:00 p.m. eastern, david horwitz. >> communism and socialism in the progressivism are all modeled around christianity. they look on the world as if all in place. place. fall in is a place of injustice. >> tuesday at 8:00 p.m. eastern, a debate on technology and privacy on the other tech companies should be required to disclose customer data. >> some suggest should build a backdoor in order to allow law enforcement access to data. the problem is you cannot build a backdoor that works only for the u.s. government, the good guys are the people with good motives. if you build for them, the encryption will be weakened for everyone. >> arizona's supreme court justice. >> the most important and enduring decision a president will ever make is who to appoint to the united states supreme court into the federal judiciary. >> thursday at 8:00 p.m. eastern, hillary clinton talking about women in politics. >> women are often the first to spot conflict on the horizon coming their way. when their insight and information is ignored, it often leads to consequences that might have been averted. >> friday at 8:00 p.m. eastern, sociologist and author william julius wilson. >> every citizen does not fully understand the complex forces that have increased their economic woes. economic insecurities create conditions that are breeding grounds for racial and ethnic tension. >> this week at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. up over the fourth of july holiday on c-span twos tv. monday at 8:30 p.m. eastern, john the quarter discusses his book, talking back, talking black. >> i wanted to see if i can make the general public have a more dialect view of the that most black americans use in casual situations. >> on tuesday, at 7:15 am withrn, david mccullough this book, the american spirit, who we are and what we stand for. to,f you get knocked down you get back up on your feet and continue one. something we all need to be reminded of. and are reminded of by the examples set in this story of our own countries -- our country. >> mike lee with his book written out of history. the forgotten founding fathers who fought the government. >> i will think anyone can comprehend fully what happened in philadelphia unless they read both sides of the argument. unless you read the argument of the anti-federalist and the arguments of the federalists appear to tilt more in the direction of federal power than they do. >> at 2:30 p.m., jenna bush hager and barbara pierce bush with their book, "sisters first." >> with melia and saucer we thought unbelievably protective of them. people thought it was odd how protective we were. we saw ourselves and them. we saw our little selves in them when our grandpa became president. being a teenager when you're dead as president is incredibly rewarding. >> at 8:45 p.m., condoleezza rice discusses her book, democracy: stories of the room road to freedom." >> democrat state that can deliver further on people do not invade their neighbors, they do not traffic the human sex trade so that women and up and block holds in eastern europe and southeast asia. they don't harbor terrorists as a matter of state policy. as democracies don't fight each other. it is called a democratic peace p >> for a complete schedule, go to book tv.org. >> now a discussion on one group's efforts to bring stability to political