Trump promises protection of Judeo-Christian values and prayer in schools

President Donald Trump at the Museum of the Bible, September 8, 2025, Washington. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP

On September 8, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke at the Museum of the Bible in Washington during an event organized by the Commission on Religious Freedom. He announced that the Department of Education would prepare new guidelines guaranteeing the right to prayer in public schools, Politico reported.

“For most of our country’s history, the Bible was found in every classroom in the nation, yet in many schools today students are instead indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda and some are punished for their religious beliefs. Very, very strongly punished. It’s ridiculous,” Trump said, adding: "It's ridiculous."

He emphasized that the America Prays initiative should bring back the tradition of public prayer into American society.

The president also stressed that “the United States will defend Judeo-Christian values with full resolve” and added: “We have to bring back religion in America, bring it back stronger than ever before as our country grows stronger and stronger.”

Trump gave special attention to LGBT and gender ideology. He declared: “From day one of my administration, I signed an order to cut federal funding for schools promoting transgender ideology.”

This stance is backed by measures already adopted. Executive Order No. 14168 of January 20, 2025, abolished recognition of gender as a “fluid” concept and ended federal funding of medical programs for transgender individuals. Executive Order No. 14187 of January 28, 2025, banned gender transition procedures for minors and defined gender-affirming care as “chemical and surgical mutilation.”

In his speech, Trump also recalled the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, offering condolences to her family and underlining the spiritual dimension of the tragedy. “We are all religious people, but there are evil people, and we must confront that… It is terrible, it is cruel, but we must be able to deal with it. If we cannot, we will not have a country,” he said.

Trump’s statements about restoring prayer in schools and defending Judeo-Christian values are part of his broader political course. From the first weeks of his new term, he has signed several orders restricting the promotion of transgender ideology in the military, medicine, and education. In particular, Executive Orders No. 14168 and No. 14187 eliminated federal recognition of “gender identity” and banned sex-change procedures for minors, while Executive Order No. 14183 excluded transgender individuals from the armed forces.

Thus, the president’s speech at the Museum of the Bible marked a continuation of his agenda to strengthen traditional values and reinforce the religious dimension in American public life.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Trump would host Patriarch Bartholomew in the United States.

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