Trump signs executive order establishing Religious Liberty Commission

National Day of Prayer at the White House. Photo: White House Facebook page

On May 1, 2025, during an event marking the U.S. National Day of Prayer, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a Commission on Religious Freedom, according to the White House website.

The order states that in recent years, some federal, state, and local policies have threatened America’s tradition of religious liberty. President Trump affirmed that the federal government will "promote citizens’ pride in our foundational history, identify emerging threats to religious liberty, uphold Federal laws that protect all citizens’ full participation in a pluralistic democracy, and protect the free exercise of religion."

The Commission will consist of 14 members appointed by the President. Their term will end on July 4, 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of American independence.

The Commission is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, its impact on American society, current threats to religious freedom within the country, and strategies for preserving and expanding protections for future generations.

Topics the Commission will address include: First Amendment rights for pastors, religious leaders, houses of worship, and religious organizations; attacks on houses of worship of various faiths; conscience protections in healthcare and vaccination mandates; parental rights in directing their children’s upbringing and education; providing time for voluntary prayer and religious instruction in public schools, and more.

President Trump appointed the following individuals to the Commission:

• Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (Chair). Protestant, conservative Christian
• Dr. Ben Carson (Vice Chair). Seventh-day Adventist
• Ryan T. Anderson, Catholic, President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center
• Bishop Robert Barron, Catholic, Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester
• Carrie Prejean Boller, Protestant, former Miss California USA
• Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Catholic, Archbishop of New York
• Pastor Franklin Graham, Protestant (Evangelical), President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
• Allison Ho, attorney and public representative
• Dr. Phil McGraw, Protestant, television host and author
• Eric Metaxas, Protestant (Evangelical), writer and radio host
• Kelly Shackelford, Protestant, President of First Liberty Institute
• Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, Judaism, Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel
• Pastor Paula White, Protestant (Pentecostal), founder of Paula White Ministries

The Commission includes representatives of major Christian denominations (Catholics, Protestants of various branches, and a Seventh-day Adventist), as well as one representative of Judaism. Of the 13 named members, seven represent different Protestant traditions, three are Catholics, one is Jewish, one is a Seventh-day Adventist, and the denominational affiliation of one member is not specified.

The Commission will advise the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Domestic Policy Council on matters related to U.S. religious freedom policy. The President will also appoint an advisory council of religious leaders, a council of lay leaders from religious congregations, and a council of legal experts to consult with the Commission.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that during the National Day of Prayer event, President Trump stated that Americans must be a nation under God.

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