Blue State Blues: The Prayer of the Press Secretary

The daily briefing by the White House press secretary in the James S. Brady Briefing Room is one of the only major public meetings in the United States to begin without a prayer or moment of silent reflection.

Think about that.

Elsewhere, across the nation — in dense liberal cities, no less than sparse conservative towns — every gathering of more than a few souls begins with an acknowledgement of God as the Creator. Usually, the name of His son, Jesus, is invoked as well; but our country is a melting pot, and we have adapted by incorporating other faiths into a daily invocation.

Except at the White House.

Over on Capitol Hill, each day’s session of the House and the Senate begins with a prayer. The moment is missed by many: few members of each chamber attend the opening of any proceedings — or, really, any part of the proceedings, save when there are votes to cast or events of historical importance. 

The viewing public rarely tunes in for the invocation — except, suddenly, when it does.

During the impeachment trials of President (and former President) Donald Trump, the invocation was the one serious moment, a brief, somber pause in the never-ending partisan battle.

Some have raised objections to the practice of invocation even in these settings. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the opening of the cherished Bill of Rights,  declares: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

What is the daily practice of invocation, critics argue, other than an “establishment” of religion? 

The invocation tells Americans that religion — and, usually, the Christian faith — is an essential part of the government, without which public affairs cannot commence.

Surely, if we have a separation of church and state, Congress should begin deliberations with a bang of the gavel, and nothing more?

Adding to the confusion is the fact that the White House does, in fact, observe some trappings of religious observance.

The tradition of the White House Christmas tree dates back to the administration of Calvin Coolidge, possibly the most libertarian president in the history of the country.

The tree has been joined since the Jimmy Carter administration by the White House menorah-lighting ceremony, for the Jewish holiday of Chanukah. And in the heat of the war on Islamic terror, George W. Bush still managed to host the first White House iftar meal for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Still, the press briefing goes without.

The press secretary emerges from behind a handle-less door, strides to the podium, opens a binder, nods to the throng of journalists, and begins speaking. Often, the press secretary begins speaking even before reaching the podium. 

As the briefing begins, he (and, more often over the past several years, she) launches into the president’s agenda for the day, attempting to set the tone for media coverage, putting the administration’s spin on controversial topics before opening the floor to questions. 

This is the daily link between the American people and their president, mediated on the one hand by a cantankerous gaggle of jaded journalists, and on the other by a partisan official who has managed to seize the most coveted communications job in the world. 

And it is a cacophony of noise, a battle of talking points, a conflagration of vanities and passions.

Some in the White House press corps believe their job is to press the administration for details about important matters of public interest; others — depending on the party identity of the president — believe it is their role to hold the administration accountable, or (alternatively) to help it better communicate its message.

On the administration’s side, the goal of the briefing is to use the media to amplify a political message, and to push back against messages that could hurt the president’s political standing. That means providing a wealth of information on some topics, and withholding information on others. 

It is a delicate dance in a Democratic administration, when the press has to pretend it wants to put up a fight. During a Republican administration, it is far more combative, a scene in a kung fu movie where the protagonist must spar with a mass of opponents. But it is always chaotic.

The public often ignores the White House press briefings, unless things go wrong — that is, when the press secretary commits an embarrassing gaffe, or makes the mistake of being unusually candid; or when a reporter, trying to grandstand for the cameras, asks a baldly partisan question.

But the nation’s political reporters are always watching — and, during major news events, the rest of the country is watching as well — watching a country constantly at odds with itself, a country of shouted questions and evasive replies, a “United States” that never unites.

There ought to be a healthy tension between the White House and the press, but we have exceeded that.

One answer would be to introduce a prayer at the opening of each briefing. 

A prayer would instantly change the mood in the room, from one of confrontation to one of unity — or, at least, of humility. 

By reminding the journalists present — and himself, or herself — that all were being watched by a higher power, the press secretary could inject a measure of additional decorum, perhaps chastening those who might be tempted to grandstand for the audience at home, or express partisan sentiments.

A prayer could also remind the journalists and administration that they had a commonality of purpose.

On July 3, 2019, I made the suggestion of a prayer in the briefing room to Sarah Huckabee Sanders, then the press secretary for President Donald Trump. 

I wrote:

I would like to share an idea with you that would have a positive effect on the White House in its relationship with the press, and the country as a whole.

That idea is the “Press Secretary’s Prayer.”

The White House press briefing is somehow the only major public meeting in the country that does not begin with a prayer. Yet it is the most widely watched.

A short, simple prayer at the beginning of each briefing could have a massive impact:

• It would change the mood in the room, making the exchanges more respectful;
• It would connect directly to the American people, beyond the media filter;
• It would — if you believe in the power of prayer — help the administration succeed.

I have composed a version of what I think the prayer could be:

O Lord, our God:

We pray:

Bless the President and First Lady of the United States;

Bless the men and women of the armed forces;

Bless the members of the press corps;

and their families.

Guide our deliberations today in a spirit of unity, that we may, together, inform the citizens of this Republic.

We thank you for the life You give us every day, and for the liberty You have bestowed upon each of us.

And we say: Amen.

We will now observe a moment of reflection, which you may use as you wish.

(pause)

Thank you.

Once this prayer, or one like it, were established as part of the daily agenda, it would never be removed.

I think it would be a wonderful achievement and legacy for this administration to bring God into the White House and into the consciousness of the American people daily.

I do hope you consider this idea, and that the president approves it. Perhaps give it a try one afternoon and see what happens.

I actually received a polite reply from Sarah Sanders to my suggestion. She said that she liked the idea, but was reluctant to do anything that might seem as though she were imposing her faith on others. 

It was an interesting response, as she showed a careful consideration for the journalists who rarely treated her with the same courtesy or respect.

I replied, reassuring her that if I, an observant Jew, would not be offended by her expression of Christian faith, then few others could be offended, save for those who objected to any expression of religion in the public sphere. But she left it at that and did not answer.

I made the same suggestion to each of Sanders’s successors, neither of whom responded.

The Biden White House seems unlikely to consider the idea at all. But a future Republican could pick up the suggestion.

And as I argued in my email to Sanders, the press briefing prayer, once instituted, would be very hard to stop.

A Democratic White House that ended the previous practice of offering a prayer — or just a moment of silence — before briefings would face intense criticism over “canceling” prayers in the briefing room. 

Even in today’s media climate, which is often hostile to people of faith, the controversy over removing a prayer would likely be more intense than the controversy over introducing one.

At least, that is what I would like to believe.

One point I did not make to Sanders, but which is crucial, is that the example of a prayer or moment of silence would resonate across the country. People would see that a brief moment in which all present acknowledged the presence of the Creator, or of a higher power, was not a threat in any way. On the contrary, it would bring people together.

That might encourage people to adopt prayer more widely — not for the purpose of proselytizing, but for helping Americans discover the roots of our society, and reminding us of the humanity we share in common.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.