President Donald Trump has established a new Religious Liberty Commission led by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Dr. Ben Carson to combat what the administration describes as widespread anti-Christian bias in America.
Key Takeaways
- Trump signed an executive order establishing a Religious Liberty Commission focused on defending faith-based rights in America.
- Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick will lead the commission with Dr. Ben Carson serving as vice chair.
- The commission will address parental rights in education, conscience protections, attacks on worship spaces, free speech, school choice, and institutional autonomy.
- Attorney General Pamela Bondi has already hosted the first meeting of a related task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias at the Department of Justice.
- Critics from the Freedom From Religion Foundation argue the initiative creates Christian privilege rather than protecting religious liberty.
Trump’s New Commission on Religious Liberty
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing a Religious Liberty Commission aimed at bolstering faith-based rights across the nation. The commission, led by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and vice-chaired by Dr. Ben Carson, brings together clergy, legal experts, and allies focused on addressing what the administration perceives as threats to religious liberty. According to reports, the commission will produce a comprehensive report on both the foundations of religious liberty in America and current threats against it.
The initiative will focus on several key areas, including parental rights in education, conscience protections for believers, defending houses of worship from attacks, protecting free speech, promoting school choice, and preserving institutional autonomy for religious organizations. This commission represents an expansion of Trump’s stated commitment to defending religious freedom, particularly for Christians, whom he believes face discrimination under previous policies.
Task Force Already in Action
Prior to establishing the commission, Attorney General Pamela Bondi hosted the inaugural meeting of a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias at the U.S. Department of Justice. The meeting featured testimonies from Christian Americans who claimed to have been targeted by the Biden Administration because of their religious beliefs. These included cases involving IRS charges against churches, fines against Christian universities, military personnel disciplined over vaccine religious exemptions, and educators suspended for positions on gender identity policies.
“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.”
High-profile Trump administration officials participated in the task force meeting, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins. Each addressed specific areas where they believed Christians had faced discrimination under the previous administration.
Trump’s Defense of Pro-Life Christians
Trump has specifically highlighted his actions to defend pro-life Christians who faced legal consequences for protesting at abortion facilities. In January 2025, he issued pardons to individuals convicted under the previous administration, including elderly protesters and a Catholic priest. These cases have become central to his argument about the need for greater religious liberty protections.
Trump’s executive order establishing the commission declares, “My administration will not tolerate anti-Christian weaponization of government or unlawful conduct targeting Christians. The law protects the freedom of Americans and groups of Americans to practice their faith in peace, and my administration will enforce the law and protect these freedoms.”
Opposition to the Initiative
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 initiative. The organization argues that the commission and related task force are political moves designed to privilege Christianity rather than protect genuine religious liberty. FFRF contends that Christianity already enjoys significant advantages in American society and is not under systematic attack.
“Christianity is not under attack in this country—if anything, it enjoys overwhelming privilege,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.
FFRF has announced plans to monitor the implementation of the executive order and oppose what it views as unconstitutional overreach. The organization emphasizes that the First Amendment protects both against religious persecution and against government favoritism toward particular religious groups. Critics argue the initiative may create a privileged class for certain Christian denominations at the expense of religious minorities and secular Americans.
Sources:
- https://ffrf.org/news/releases/trump-weaponizing-justice-department-to-enforce-christian-privilege/
- https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-hosts-first-task-force-meeting-eradicate-anti-christian-bias
- https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-to-establish-religious-liberty-commission
