--- title: Donald Trump Praises 'Judeo-Christian' Values in Speech description: President Trump defended what he described as America's spiritual bedrock in an impassioned speech to conservative voters in Washington. canonical: https://time.com/4981448/value-voters-summit-donald-trump-speech/ author: Nash Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-13T15:22:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:56:46.949Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'We're Saying Merry Christmas Again.' Trump Praises 'Judeo-Christian Values' in Speech og:description: "Times have changed. But you know what? Now they're changing back again." og:url: https://time.com/4981448/value-voters-summit-donald-trump-speech/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda2b689ea16257cc/6988e1db0a4a22cb9c9d050b/gettyimages-860914112.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: President Trump, Conservative Leaders Address Value Voters Summit og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'We're Saying Merry Christmas Again.' Trump Praises 'Judeo-Christian Values' in Speech twitter:description: "Times have changed. But you know what? Now they're changing back again." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda2b689ea16257cc/6988e1db0a4a22cb9c9d050b/gettyimages-860914112.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:01 video:published: 2017-10-13 section: politics topics: religion in public life, Judeo-Christian values, Declaration of Independence, Christmas greetings, political correctness, Value Voters Summit, conservative values genre: speech, political rally tones: combative, patriotic, celebratory, confrontational emotions: pride (high), defiance (medium), enthusiasm (medium) sentiment: neutral audience: conservative voters, religious voters, political observers, Value Voters Summit attendees people: Donald Trump organizations: Family Research Council content_suitability: politics [00:00-01:01] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # 'We're Saying Merry Christmas Again!' Trump Praises 'Judeo-Christian Values' to Conservative Grassroots > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=75f6f03c-c6c2-410d-9de1-e1ea935734e0&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump Delivers Keynote Speech at Value Voters Summit [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Delivers Keynote Speech at Value Voters Summit](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/K7HUkKoA.m3u8) (1:01)  _Published 2017-10-13. President Donald Trump delivers the keynote speech at the 2017 Value Voters Summit, hosted by the Family Research Council._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary President Trump delivers a keynote speech to the Value Voters Summit, framing American government as subordinate to God and invoking the Declaration of Independence's references to the creator. He argues that traditional Judeo-Christian values are under attack and says they are now being restored. He closes by criticizing the avoidance of the word Christmas in stores and declaring that Merry Christmas is being said again. The audience responds with repeated applause throughout. ## Key points - Trump states that in America people do not worship government but worship God. (00:00) - Trump says the American founders invoked the creator four times in the Declaration of Independence. (00:06) - Trump claims that times have changed but are now changing back, and says the attacks on Judeo-Christian values are being stopped. (00:21) - Trump asserts that the Christmas season is not discussed much anymore and that the word Christmas is avoided as not politically correct. (00:38) - Trump criticizes department stores for saying happy new year or other greetings instead of Christmas. (00:47) - Trump declares that people are saying Merry Christmas again. (00:55) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:21] Government, God, and the Declaration. Trump contrasts worship of government with worship of God and cites the founders' four invocations of the creator. - [00:21 to 00:38] Defending Judeo-Christian Values. Trump says times are changing back and that attacks on Judeo-Christian values are being stopped. - [00:38 to 01:01] Saying Merry Christmas Again. Trump criticizes the avoidance of the word Christmas in stores and says people are saying Merry Christmas again. ## Key quotes - [00:00] Donald Trump: "In America we dont worship government we worship" - [00:06] Donald Trump: "The American founders invoked our creator four" - [00:31] Donald Trump: "We are stopping cold," - [00:38] Donald Trump: "They don't use the word Christmas cause' it's not politically" - [00:55] Donald Trump: "guess what We're saying Merry Christmas again." ## Questions this video answers - What does Trump say Americans worship instead of government? [00:00] - How many times did the American founders invoke the creator in the Declaration of Independence according to Trump? [00:06] - What does Trump say is happening to Judeo-Christian values? [00:21] - Why does Trump say people avoid the word Christmas? [00:38] - What greetings does Trump say department stores use instead of Christmas? [00:47] ## Content suitability - politics [00:00-01:01]: Partisan political speech at a political summit with a religious and cultural focus. by [Nash Jenkins](https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Oct 13, 2017 3:22 PM UTC President Donald Trump delivers the keynote speech at the 2017 Value Voters Summit, hosted by the Family Research Council. by [Nash Jenkins](https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Oct 13, 2017 3:22 PM UTC President Trump defended what he described as America’s spiritual bedrock in [an impassioned speech](http://time.com/4981399/president-trump-is-speaking-to-conservative-christians-at-the-value-voters-summit-watch-live-here/) to conservative voters in Washington on Friday, pledging to “stop all attacks on our Judeo-Christian values.” Trump was the first sitting president to address the [Values Voter Summit](http://www.npr.org/2017/10/13/557459193/trump-set-to-address-values-voter-summit-for-first-time-as-president), a yearly symposium of socially conservative leaders and voters who aim “to preserve the bedrock values of traditional marriage, religious liberty, sanctity of life, and limited government that make our nation strong.” The ballroom at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in northwest Washington was crowded and raucous during his remarks on Friday, which spanned half an hour and drew repeated standing ovations from the crowd. The speech was characteristic of Trump, who oscillated between the matter at hand — conservative principles — and boasting of his political record since taking office, referring to the growth of U.S. manufacturing and the success of federal disaster management in regions devastated by hurricanes. But his oration reached a peak when he addressed the challenges he said plague America’s Christian conservatives, who made up the majority of Friday’s audience. “We don’t worship government, we worship God,” Trump said, to loud cheers. “Our founders invoked our creator four times in the Declaration of Independence. And how times have changed. But you know what? Now they’re changing back again.” He said that conservative Christian America would enjoy a renaissance with him in the White House. “We are stopping all our attacks on Judeo-Christian values,” Trump said. “We don’t use the word Christmas because it’s not politically correct. You’ll go to department stores and they say ‘Happy New Year’ instead. Under his presidency, Trump promised, “we’re saying Merry Christmas again! Our values will endure. Our nation will thrive. Our citizens will flourish, and our freedom will triumph.” Trump also briefly mentioned the unfolding crisis in Puerto Rico, which was severely hit by Hurricane Maria three weeks ago. “We’re gonna be there. It’s not a question of choice. We love those people,” Trump said. “When America is unified, no force can break us apart. We love our families, we love our neighbors, we love our country.” For the audience at the Values Voter Summit, which numbered in the thousands, Trump’s speech was the climax of an already raucous assembly of high-profile conservatives. The roster of scheduled speakers includes current and former members of Trump’s inner circle — [Kellyanne Conway](http://time.com/4802844/kellyanne-conway-trump-climate-change/), [Steve Bannon](http://time.com/4907060/steve-bannon-donald-trump-timeline/), [Sebastian Gorka](http://time.com/4676723/meet-president-trumps-new-national-security-advisor/) — and right-wing pundits such as Laura Ingraham and Todd Starnes. ## Transcript [00:00] In America we dont worship government we worship [00:04] God. [ APPLAUSE ] [00:06] The American founders invoked our creator four [00:11] times in the declaration of independent. Four [00:15] times. [ APPLAUSE ] [00:21] How times have changed, but you know what, now [00:24] they're changing back again. Just remember that. [00:26] [ APPLAUSE ] We are stopping cold, [00:31] the attacks Born Judea Christian values .>> [00:36] [ APPLAUSE ] [00:38] You know, we're getting near that beautiful Christmas [00:40] season that people don't talk about anymore. They [00:44] don't use the word Christmas cause' it's not politically [00:47] correct. You go to department stores and they'll say [00:50] happy new year and they'll say other things and it'll be [00:53] red they'll have it painted but they don't say, well [00:55] guess what We're saying Merry Christmas again. [00:59] [ APPLAUSE ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4981448/value-voters-summit-donald-trump-speech/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4981448/value-voters-summit-donald-trump-speech/"},"headline":"'We're Saying Merry Christmas Again!' 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