New National Religious Freedom Day honors America’s founding principle, Trump says 

Friday marked the first National Religious Freedom Day, celebrating America’s founding as “one nation under God” and upholding the free exercise of faith, according to an executive order from President Donald Trump. 

“Every person is born with the God-given right to practice their faith, follow their conscience, and worship their God freely and without fear,” Trump said in the order. “This Religious Freedom Day, we honor America’s distinct place in the halls of history as the only republic ever founded upon this sacred principle – and we renew our commitment to upholding our proud legacy as one glorious nation under God.” 

Trump designated Jan. 16 as National Religious Freedom Day to commemorate Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which was codified into Virginia law on Jan. 16, 1786, according to the order. 

“In that historic declaration, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that God ‘created the mind to be free’ and that every individual ‘shall be free to profess their opinion in matters of religion,’” Trump wrote. 

Following Jefferson’s statute, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution established religious freedom nationally, “immortalizing in ink the free exercise of faith,” Trump said. 

That principle of religious freedom remains 250 years later, Trump wrote, but with a dire need for “a resurgence of faith in God.” 

“As president, I am leading a renewal of faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government because the revolution of common sense is incomplete without a resurgence of faith in God,” he said. 

Trump suggested Americans mark the day with events honoring the nation’s history and principles and encouraged families to attend “places of worship to praise Almighty God for the blessings of liberty He has bestowed on our great country.” 

Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, also marked the day by noting the persecution faced by Christians worldwide. 

“I’m thankful to live in a country that protects our freedom to worship and express our faith –pray for our leaders who defend this liberty, and that this freedom will be maintained,” Graham said in a post on X. “But there are Christians around the world experiencing persecution, oppression, and discrimination for their faith – remember them in your prayers as well.” 

Trump cited faith as a core principle that shaped America’s founding and has sustained its spirit, pledging to defend that legacy and restore the nation to its religious roots. 

“From the establishment of the Jamestown Colony to the Pilgrims’ arrival at Plymouth Rock, through periods of war and peace and through every challenge and every triumph, religious faith has indelibly shaped our character, informed our laws, and strengthened our national spirit,” he said. “This Religious Freedom Day, I pledge that I will never stop fighting to restore America as a nation of prayer, a country of faith, and a radiant beacon of liberty and justice for all.”