Trump’s New Religious Liberty Commission Becomes Reality

Group holding hands over open books — christian small group holding hands and praying together around wooden table with blurred open bible page in home room, devotional or prayer meeting concept

President Trump establishes a new Religious Liberty Commission to address what he calls anti-Christian bias in government agencies, placing Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick at its helm with Dr. Ben Carson as vice chair.

Quick Takes

Trump signed an executive order creating the commission to identify threats to religious liberty in America
The task force will investigate perceived anti-Christian discrimination within federal agencies including the DOJ, IRS, and FBI
Attorney General Pamela Bondi is leading a related Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias
The commission will address parental rights, conscience protections, attacks on houses of worship, and institutional autonomy
Critics argue the initiative promotes Christian nationalism and undermines separation of church and state

Commission Leadership and Purpose

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing a Religious Liberty Commission aimed at protecting faith-based rights in America. The commission will be led by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, with Dr. Ben Carson serving as vice chair. According to the executive order, the commission is tasked with producing a comprehensive report examining both the foundations of religious liberty in the United States and current threats to those freedoms. The initiative appears to be part of Trump’s broader efforts to address what he perceives as discrimination against Christians in particular.

The commission will consist of clergy members, legal professionals, and allies focused on addressing several key areas. These include parental rights in education, conscience protections for religious individuals, attacks on houses of worship, religious free speech, school choice, and institutional autonomy for faith-based organizations. This approach reflects Trump’s campaign commitments to strengthen protections for religious communities and reverse policies implemented during the Biden administration that his supporters view as hostile to religious freedom.

Task Force Against Anti-Christian Bias

In addition to the Religious Liberty Commission, Attorney General Pamela Bondi recently hosted the first meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias at the Department of Justice. This task force, established under Executive Order 14202, aims to identify and eliminate what the administration characterizes as anti-Christian bias within federal agencies. The meeting included testimonies from Christian Americans who claimed they were targeted by the Biden Administration specifically because of their religious beliefs and practices.

“As shown by our victims’ stories today, Biden’s Department of Justice abused and targeted peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to President Trump, we have ended those abuses, and we will continue to work closely with every member of this Task Force to protect every American’s right to speak and worship freely.”

Case Examples and Federal Response

During the task force meeting, several officials presented cases they believe demonstrate anti-Christian bias. Michael Farris discussed IRS charges against Cornerstone Church related to alleged Johnson Amendment violations. Dr. Scott Hicks highlighted fines against Liberty University and Grand Canyon University, which he attributed to their Christian worldview. The task force also heard from Phil Mendes, a Navy Seal reportedly relieved of duty for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine after his religious exemption requests were denied.

Criticism of the Initiative

Not all organizations view these initiatives favorably. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a national nonprofit with over 40,000 members advocating for the separation of church and state, has strongly criticized the effort. The FFRF characterizes the initiative as a political move designed to promote Christian nationalism and undermine constitutional principles separating religion and government. The organization plans to monitor the implementation of the executive order and oppose what it sees as unconstitutional overreach.

“Christianity is not under attack in this country—if anything, it enjoys overwhelming privilege,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.

The FFRF argues that the initiative creates a privileged class for certain Christian groups and that the First Amendment is designed to protect against both religious persecution and government favoritism toward any particular faith. Meanwhile, Trump administration officials maintain that the Religious Liberty Commission represents a necessary step to protect constitutional freedoms that they believe have been eroded in recent years.