In a virtual speech aimed at the American Catholic population, President Trump stressed he is protecting "God given rights" by nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

Trump also recalled the nation's great Catholics and exhorted Catholics to protect the church and religious liberty. The comments were made at the 75th Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner.

The dinner was limited to 50 guests this year due to social distancing. 

Watch the speech here and read the full transcript of Trump's speech below. The full stream from the dinner is available to view here.

See below a transcript of Trump's comments:  

From the very beginning of our republic, Catholics have uplifted and enriched our nation beyond measure. 

Catholics like Charles Carroll helped secure American independence. 

Women like Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton founded a movement that created thousands of schools and lifted children out of poverty. 

And the great Al Smith, the original happy warrior. That's what he was. He was a happy warrior. I know it well. I consider myself to be a happy warrior. But it's not so easy in these times. 

But he was a happy warrior of American politics. He spent his life fighting for hard working Americans and battling the anti-Catholic prejudice that you see even today coming out of the Democrat Party in this country's civil society and especially our religious institutions are an essential foundation of American freedom. 

Our nation is strong because of Catholics and, frankly, people of all faiths. 

That is why, as president, one of my top priorities is to defend religious liberty and the cherished role of faith and faith-based organizations in our national life.

To protect your God given rights, I was recently honored to nominate one of our most brilliant legal minds, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, to the United States Supreme Court. 

And that was an honor indeed. We will not stand for any attacks against Judge Barrett’s faith. Anti-Catholic bigotry has absolutely no place in the United States of America. 

It predominates in the Democrat Party and we must do something immediately about it, like a Republican win. And let's make it a really big one.

To support the noble mission of Catholic schools, my administration is working to advance school choice. 

It was my great honor to help the Catholic Church with its schools. They needed hundreds of millions of dollars nationwide. And I got it for them. Nobody else. I got it for them. I hope you remember that on November 3rd. But I got it for them, and it was an honor to do it. 

I did it at the request of (New York Archdiocese) Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and others of your leaders. They really needed it. We took care of that situation. Very important. 

We are once again standing with Catholic Charities and health care providers such as the Little Sisters of the Poor. We've been with them all the way in this long fight. 

We are fighting for Catholic adoption agencies and fighting hard, and we are defending the sacred right to life. Remember that when you vote. That's so important and so important to the Supreme Court. 

Every child born and unborn is made in the holy image of God. Few institutions in history have done more for New York, more for America, or more for people of the world than the Catholic Church. Now, more than ever, our nation needs a renewal of the values this organization promotes and that the Catholic faithful live out each and every day in peace.

We love the Catholic people. We love the Catholic religion. And above all, we respect it greatly. 

As president, I will always support you in your effort to serve our fellow citizens and to lift up all humanity. I will protect the Catholic Church and I will defend the rights of religious believers of every race, religion, color and creed. 

God bless you. God bless New York. And God bless America.