The Freedom From Religion Foundation is raising the alarm over President Trump’s newly announced “Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty,” a dangerous initiative revealed during the National Day of Prayer observance at the White House yesterday.
Despite its branding, this commission is not about protecting religious freedom — it’s about advancing religious privilege and promoting a Christian nationalist agenda. Like the “Anti-Christian Bias Task Force,” this body aims to erode the constitutional wall between church and state.
Chaired by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and co-chaired by former HUD Secretary Ben Carson — both outspoken Christian nationalists — the commission’s mandate includes reviewing federal policies for “religious liberty compliance,” proposing regulatory changes and “amplifying the voices of faith leaders” in public policy. The White House’s own fact sheet makes clear this is a vehicle for religious influence in government.
Commission members include religious hardliners such as Kelly Shackelford of First Liberty, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and TV personality Phil McGraw. Patrick, who pitched the commission to Trump, used the announcement to repeat the tired, debunked myth that the United States was “birthed by prayer” and founded on a “Judeo-Christian ethic.” He also falsely accused the Biden administration of targeting believers.
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says, “Let’s be absolutely clear: This commission is not about religious liberty — it’s about religious privilege. The First Amendment already protects the rights of believers. What this commission aims to do is weaponize religion to justify discrimination and override civil rights.”
Trump’s speech announcing the commission confirmed its ideological agenda. He derided the separation of state and church as having gone “too far,” vowed to “bring religion back” into government, and claimed that prayer is “not a religious act — it’s a national necessity.” He also pledged to give faith leaders greater influence over executive decisions.
“This is theocratic language,” warns Gaylor. “When the president calls for pastors in the White House and says religion should shape national policy, he’s rejecting the secular principles our government is founded on.”
According to the White House release, the commission’s likely priorities include:
- Weakening safeguards that prevent direct federal funding of religious activity.
- Redefining the Establishment Clause to favor religious groups’ “free exercise” — even when it harms others.
- Pushing for expansive religious exemptions from civil rights laws protecting women, the nonreligious and LGBTQ-plus individuals.
The commission aligns with the goals of Project 2025, a sweeping Christian nationalist playbook aimed at reshaping the federal government to reflect ultraconservative religious ideology.
“This isn’t just a commission — it’s a constitutional crisis,” adds Dan Barker, FFRF co-president. “The goal is to embed a specific religious perspective into our laws and institutions. That’s not freedom — that’s theocracy.”
FFRF urges Congress, the courts, other civil liberties groups and the public to join in rejecting this unconstitutional initiative and defending true religious freedom: the right to believe — or not — free from government endorsement or interference.
Public policy should be based on evidence, equality and secular law — not religious dogma.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
