President creates task force to address anti-Christian bias in federal government

President Donald Trump used the annual National Prayer Breakfast to announce the creation of an initiative to battle anti-Christian bias within the federal government.

“My Administration will not tolerate anti-Christian weaponization of government or unlawful conduct targeting Christians,” declared the president in his executive order creating the task force to “eradicate” Christian bias.

“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. My Administration will ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified.”

In the executive order, Trump charged that the Biden administration had engaged in “an egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians, while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses.”  

He cited a flurry of examples in which the Biden White House had targeted peaceful pro-life protestors, ignored violent attacks on Christian individuals and institutions, labeled traditional Christian groups as potential terrorist threats, and sought to repeal religious-liberty protections for faith-based organizations on college campuses. 

The president said Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice would be tasked with stopping “all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government,” as well as to “fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society and to move heaven and earth to defend the rights of Christians and religious believers nationwide.” 

During a private event at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 6, Trump cited the importance of faith to the national fabric: “From the very beginning of our Republic, America has always been a nation founded by people of faith and strengthened by the power of prayer, united by four simple but beautiful words: ‘In God We Trust.’” 

Among those applauding the president’s actions was Arielle Del Turco, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council. 

“This is exactly the whole-of-government approach that conservatives need to take to uncover and rectify the inappropriate policies of the past administration that demonstrated a bias against Christians,” she said. “For too long, we have accepted as status-quo that the government will operate with a subtle prejudice against Christians. That’s just wrong, and America’s strong legal protections for religious freedom clearly prevent it.” 

Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition also praised the president’s actions: 

“In the aftermath of the Biden Justice Department targeting parents attending school board meetings for possible prosecution and the FBI targeting faithful Catholics as a possible domestic threat, it has never been more important to eradicate all forms of targeting, bias, and discrimination based on faith at the federal level.” 

Then on Friday, the president signed a second faith-focused executive order establishing a White House Faith Office, led by Trump’s longtime friend and adviser, pastor and televangelist Paula White.  

As part of the administration’s Domestic Policy Council, the White House Faith Office “will consult with experts within the faith community and make recommendations to the President regarding changes to policies, programs, and practices to better align with the American values,” according to the executive order.