Trump jokes he stays awake and alert on planes to watch for 'missiles and enemies'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump joked on Thursday, February 5, that he avoided sleeping on airplanes because he preferred to keep watch for potential threats, prompting laughter from the audience at the National Prayer Breakfast.

“I don’t sleep on planes. I don’t like sleeping on planes,” Trump said during his speech. “You know, I like looking out the window, watching for missiles and enemies, actually.”

The comment drew audible laughter from the crowd gathered at the Washington Hilton, where bipartisan lawmakers, business leaders and foreign dignitaries assembled for the annual faith-based event.

Trump recalls Air Force One journey 

Trump attended the National Prayer Breakfast for the sixth time since first taking office in 2017, continuing a tradition that brought together elected officials from both parties to reflect on faith, prayer and national unity.

The president has long been known for avoiding sleep aboard Air Force One, a habit he referenced while recounting an anecdote from his first term involving Gen Daniel Raizin Caine, now chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Trump told the audience that during a lengthy flight early in his presidency, Caine had arranged for a space where Trump could rest during the roughly 20-hour journey. Trump said that he declined the offer so the two could instead discuss military strategy to defeat I**S.

“I said, ‘What’s your first name?’ ‘Raizin, sir. They call me Raizin,’” Trump recalled. “And I say, ‘What the hell kind of a name is that?’” he added, drawing more laughter.

Trump praised Caine’s toughness, pointing to US actions abroad as evidence of renewed military strength. “He’s brutal,” Trump said. “Just ask Venezuela. Ask Iran. They’re negotiating now. They don’t want us to hit them.”

Trump touts military strength and foreign policy wins

The president used the speech to take a victory lap on what he described as the resurgence of American military power during his second term, citing the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“Two years ago, you couldn’t get anybody to go into the military,” Trump said. “They laughed at you. They didn’t respect our country. They didn’t respect our president.”

He also criticized past trade policies, arguing that foreign nations had taken advantage of the United States through tariffs while mocking American leadership.

Trump speaks about faith and the founding fathers

Trump closed portions of his remarks by emphasizing the role of religion in America’s founding, contrasting his rhetoric with that of political opponents.

“They declared that all of us are made free and equal by the hand of our Creator,” Trump said of the Founding Fathers. 

“Some major politicians refuse to say the word ‘God’. They don’t want to say it. I say it," he added. "Our sacred rights to life and liberty come not from the government, but from God Almighty himself."