Lake rejected the prayer breakfast's calls for reconciliation, said God "enacts justice"

In the very first "new" iteration of the National Prayer Breakfast (NPB), Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., broke the rule limiting members of Congress to inviting either their spouse or a constituent. His office blamed Jesus for failing to check the address of his guest, former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

The revamped NPB was held for the first time last month under the auspices of a new organization, which publicly announced new rules for attendance. In years past, the NPB has drawn controversy over lobbyists, dictators, and others with political agendas attending to connect with U.S. politicians shielded by a religious cloak from official vetting and media scrutiny.

The lack of enforcement of the new rule lends credence to the suggestion by journalist Jeff Sharlet, who has chronicled the group behind the breakfast, that the event's changes are "largely cosmetic." Before the changes, Democrats had begun to shun the event in the wake of reports about its use by right-wing networks opposed to LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, as well as democratic norms.

Hours after the event, on former Donald Trump aide Steven Bannon's podcast, Lake rejected the prayer breakfast's signature theme of reconciliation and hinted at divine retribution for Pres. Joe Biden's "crimes."

Both Gosar and Lake have said Biden stole the election. They have defended the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which was motivated in part by Christian support for then-Pres. Trump. As TYT reported in 2021, Trump's election lies were supported by a number of leaders of The Family, the secretive Christian group that started the breakfast in 1953 and is still strongly tied to the "new" NPB.

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