President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to religious liberty on Monday by announcing new Department of Education guidance aimed at safeguarding the right to pray in public schools. The announcement came during a hearing of his Religious Liberty Commission held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
Speaking before faith leaders, students, and public officials, Trump made it clear that his administration will defend the Judeo-Christian values that have underpinned the American experiment since its founding.
“To have a great nation, you have to have religion—I believe that so strongly,” Trump said. “There has to be something after we go through all of this, and that something is God.”
Trump accused public schools of pushing anti-religious propaganda and marginalizing faith-based views. He emphasized that students’ constitutional right to pray at school must not only be preserved but also protected more clearly in policy. The new guidance will aim to reinforce those rights in the face of increasing hostility toward religion in public education.
The commission, chaired by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, exists to promote awareness of Americans' religious freedoms and defend against efforts to erode them. Patrick said the work is grounded in the belief that “no one should come between God and a believer.”
The hearing included testimony from students who said they faced censorship and discrimination for expressing their Christian beliefs in school. One student, Lydia Booth, shared her story of being told she couldn’t wear a “Jesus Loves Me” mask. Her case, taken up by Alliance Defending Freedom, was eventually settled. Booth credited the incident for helping shine a light on religious freedom in education.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan also praised Trump’s leadership, saying the president takes threats to religious freedom seriously, calling the effort “deeply patriotic” and grounded in biblical values.
The Trump administration's faith-driven agenda has included the creation of a White House Faith Office, protections for religious expression among federal employees, and a growing emphasis on restoring religious values in American public life.
Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed these concerns at the commission’s first hearing earlier this year, warning that the federal government under Biden had become “the greatest threat” to religious liberty.
While critics argue the commission lacks ideological diversity, the Trump administration is unapologetic about its focus: restoring the nation’s spiritual foundation and protecting the rights of believers.