On May 1, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty during a National Day of Prayer event at the White House. The commission aims to evaluate threats to religious freedom in the United States and recommend strategies to enhance protections for religious institutions and individuals.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has been appointed as chairman of the commission, with former HUD Secretary Ben Carson serving as vice chairman. The commission will include leaders from diverse religious backgrounds, clergy members, legal experts, academics, and public advocates.
The commission’s report will address issues such as parental rights in religious education, school choice, attacks on places of worship, and free speech concerns for religious organizations. Additionally, it will examine the history of American religious liberty and propose policy and legislative solutions to advance religious freedom.
At the event, Pastor Paula White-Cain, who leads the White House’s faith office, stated, “Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, faith has not been pushed aside. It has been brought back to where it always belongs, and that is center.”
This initiative follows previous actions by the Trump administration to support religious freedom, including the establishment of a White House Faith Office and a Department of Justice task force aimed at eradicating anti-Christian bias.
