President Trump, speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. Thursday, assured his audience that his administration will protect religious liberties.

"I will never let you down," the president told his audience — which included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "I can say that. Never."

The president has relied on religious conservatives, particularly evangelical Christians, for much of his base. His speech came after he devoted some of his State of the Union address to the issue of late-term abortion, a key issue for many conservative Christians — especially after bills in New York and Virginia aiming to ease late-term abortion restrictions. The president reiterated his commitment to the pro-life movement Thursday.

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"All children born and unborn are made in the holy image of God," Mr. Trump told the prayer breakfast.

Mr. Trump also brought up religious persecution abroad, human trafficking and other issues he says his administration is committed to addressing.

At one point, the president appeared to slip up in his remarks, although it's unclear if it was a teleprompter issue, listing the "abolition of civil rights" as among the nation's accomplishments propelled by communities of faith.

"Since the founding our our nation, many of our greatest strides, from gaining our independence to abolition of civil rights, to extending the vote for women, have been led by people of faith and started in prayer," Mr. Trump said.

Every president since President Dwight D. Eisenhower has attended that annual breakfast, which typically includes members of Congress and foreign dignitaries.

Grace Segers contributed to this report.