U.S. President Donald Trump told a national prayer breakfast on Thursday (February 2) that the world is in trouble, the United States is being taken advantage of, and that he was having "tough phone calls" as he worked to address issues.

"The world is in trouble, but we're going to straighten it out, OK? That's what I do - I fix things," Trump said after saying that freedom of religion was threatened.

"Believe me, when you hear about the tough phone calls I'm having - don't worry about it. Just don't worry about it," he said.

"We're taken advantage of by every nation in the world virtually. It's not going to happen anymore," he said.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Thursday he had spoken candidly and frankly with U.S. President Donald Trump, but would not confirm a Washington Post report that Trump had berated him over a refugee swap deal and cut the phone call short.

Trump tweeted on Wednesday (February 1) "Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!"

During Trump's remarks at the prayer breakfast at the Washington Hilton, he vowed to develop a system to ensure people coming into country "love us and love our values" and said he would not allow a "beachhead of intolerance to spread in our nation." He also said he will do everything he can to protect religious liberty in the United States.

Striking a lighter tone, Trump put another former politician is in his prayers -- former California Governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Trump mocked Schwarzenegger, who replaced him on the NBC show "The Celebrity Apprentice," for having sent the shows' ratings sinking.

"I want to just pray for Arnold if we can, for those ratings, OK?"