(LifeSiteNews) — During an extraordinary moment at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy elicited enthusiastic cheers and applause during a speech when he ordered that a painting of Jesus saving merchant mariners again be publicly displayed after reportedly being relegated to the basement by the Biden administration.
In a video posted on X by Christian Post journalist Jon Brown, Duffy is seen telling the midshipmen, “As you all go into your careers, God bless you, may God keep you safe,” adding, “Can we bring Jesus up from the basement?”
The crowd immediately burst into sustained exuberant clapping and shouts of approval as Duffy continued, saying, “Can we bring Jesus up from the basement? Let’s not put Jesus in the basement! Let’s get him out! Let’s bring him up!”
As the midshipmen continued their spirited response, Duffy looked at the crowd and again asked, “You want Jesus up from the basement, right? Great!”
Midshipmen at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy erupted in applause when @SecDuffy demanded a painting of Jesus saving merchant mariners be restored.
The Biden admin put a curtain over the painting before putting it in a flood-prone basement.
“Let’s bring Him up!” pic.twitter.com/qQvLKXKE5r
— Jon Brown (@JonBrownDC) April 9, 2025
The massive 10-foot by 19-foot painting titled “Christ on the Water” was completed in 1942 by artist LT Hunter Wood, USMS. It depicts an image of Jesus and merchant seamen adrift in a lifeboat, presumably after being torpedoed in the Indian Ocean during World War II.
