Chicago — A well-known Chicago pastor played a prominent role at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.
Pastor Corey Brooks was asked to give the closing prayer at the end of the program.
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He sat down for a one-on-one interview with ABC7 Chicago to talk about race, politics and how he'll be praying for the nation Tuesday night.
A Chicago pastor will deliver the closing prayer at the Republican National Convention. Here's his full interview.
Brooks said he has been a longtime Republican and supports former President Donald Trump's policies and the party's 2024 platform.
On Tuesday, his platform was the Fiserv Forum, and his group were delegates on a mission.
Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar spoke at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.
Brooks, of New Beginnings Church in Chicago, took the stage at the Republican National Convention Tuesday morning for a practice run, preparing to step into the biggest spotlight of his life.
“So it's a great honor to have the opportunity to pray on a national platform for the nation,” Brooks added.
Brooks, who gained national attention as the Rooftop Pastor for his efforts to draw attention to and stop gun violence, said the assassination attempt on Trump was astonishing.
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“Whether it’s the president or someone on the streets of Chicago, whether it’s a gun or a knife, whether it’s a fistfight, violence is always horrific,” Brooks said. “So I hate that our nation has gotten to a point where we’ve become so divided, where we can’t have a discussion, where we can’t talk about issues without being confronted.”
The theme of Tuesday night’s conference is Making America Safe Again. Brooks has helped shooting victims for years, and he sees a common bond with President Trump.
“One thing they all have in common is a humility and gratitude for the people who actually make it out of this mess,” Brooks said. “And I think that will have the same effect on President Trump. And I think the fact that he’s alive, which is a miracle, will say a lot.”
Trump has been labeled a racist by many Democrats, but Brooks doesn't see him that way.
“I don't think he's racist. If I thought he was racist, I certainly wouldn't support him,” Brooks said.
Brooks believes the Republican Party is trying to expand its tent.
“I think the party is trying to tell people that we are the party that wants to welcome you,” Brooks said. “And I pray with God’s hope and God’s strength that somehow we can become the Americans that we have always been, who have been resilient and steadfast and unchangeable, and somehow come back together as a nation.”
Brooks said he only had three minutes to pray, but the pastors could talk for quite a while.
In the Illinois suburb of Aurora, Mayor and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin hosted a meeting Tuesday for black mayors and Republican Party representatives from across the country.
His message is that the Republican Party is a safe place for African Americans.
“The Republican Party is not a scary place for black lives,” Irvin said. “In fact, our views and values are so closely aligned with the views and values of the Republican Party that we should feel more welcome.”
Darren Bailey, a former Republican candidate for governor of Illinois, believes Trump will bring unity to the party.
“I don't think he's going to run against the Republican Party in this state, like he did in his first term,” Bailey said. “I think that would make all the difference in the world.”
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