Donald Trump is going somewhere he hasn’t been in almost four years.
The billionaire businessman-turned-television personality-turned-presidential candidate will visit Liberty University on Monday, Jan. 18, to kick off the 2016 Convocation schedule. If it’s anything like his last visit to the “world’s largest gathering of Christian young people,” to steal a phrase from The Donald himself—it’ll be huge.
His 2012 Convocation speech, at the time the most viewed in the university’s history, has been seen by many as a prelude to his current presidential campaign. During that speech, he opened with a discussion on the nation’s debt, unemployment and our dependence on foreign goods as well as the lack of leadership in Washington to deal with those issues:
“The world is laughing at us,” he said. “We just seem to have lost our edge, and now we’re in a position that unless things take place and take place fast, we are going to be, for many, many years to come, in serious trouble to the point that I don’t know we can really come back.”
And contrary to his campaign persona, Trump had a very positive message for Liberty’s students:
“Say to yourself nothing matters, other than the really big deal—your family, your faith.
“Always have a passion—your family, your life, your church. You gotta love it.”
Liberty’s Convocation takes place in the Vines Center two to three times a week during the academic year. Other presidential candidates to visit Liberty recently are Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders, and Dr. Ben Carson.
President Jerry Falwell said: “Since Donald Trump last visited Liberty, our family has stayed in close contact with him and with his top aide, Michael Cohen. We are thrilled that they are taking time out of their extremely busy schedule to return to Liberty.”
