Religious Liberty Recommendations
Trump Receives Comprehensive Religious Liberty Commission Report with Key Protection Recommendations
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Key Points
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The commission's recommendations include establishing religious liberty violation hotlines and distributing Know Your Rights posters, along with a presidential religious freedom awards program.
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A Washington Post article describes the draft report as treating the separation of church and state as a legal error, arguing religion should be treated as an essential support and invoking the Creator as a source of rights.
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The HuffPost/Yahoo coverage notes the report calls for federal legislation such as the Free Speech Fairness Act to repeal the Johnson Amendment.
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President Trump stated that America was founded by people of faith and pledged to study the commission's report while continuing to protect religious freedom.
President Trump received a 224-page draft report from his Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty on June 26, formally delivered in the Oval Office by Commission Chair Dan Patrick and Vice Chair Ben Carson, according to Washington Post. The report calls for rolling back the separation of church and state, repealing the Johnson Amendment, and placing religion at the center of American public life.
Trump pledged to "bring back religion in our country quickly and strongly" and said America was "founded by people of faith," according to a White House release. A 15-day public comment period on the draft opened June 27, per USA Today.
Commission Argues Church-State Separation Is a Legal Error
The commission's core argument is that the "separation of church and state" is not in the Constitution and has been wrongly used to restrict religious expression. Chair Dan Patrick called it a "legal error," according to Washington Times. The report takes an originalist view, meaning it argues the Founders never intended a strict wall between government and religion.
The report builds on recent Supreme Court rulings that have moved toward allowing more religion in public life. Under one proposed rule, any public official who cites church-state separation to limit religious expression must provide a written constitutional justification within 30 days, according to Washington Times.
12-Point Plan Targets Schools, Workplaces, and Military
The commission's 12-point plan includes requiring schools to post "Know Your Rights" posters on religious expression. It also calls for allowing religious displays — such as the Ten Commandments — in public schools, according to Washington Post. A new "Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty" and a "Religious Liberty Violation Hotline" would be created to formalize faith-based advocacy inside the executive branch.
Military members and healthcare workers who lost jobs over COVID-19 vaccine mandates could have their positions restored and receive compensation for lost pensions under the proposals, according to NC Register. Commission member Dr. Phil McGraw highlighted "workplace retaliation" against people for basic religious expression as a key driver of the recommendations.
Johnson Amendment Repeal Would Open Churches to Political Money
The report calls for repealing the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 tax law that bars 501(c)(3) nonprofits — including churches — from endorsing political candidates. The commission wants Congress to pass the "Free Speech Fairness Act" to accomplish this, according to Yahoo News. Trump has targeted the Johnson Amendment since his first term in 2017.
Critics warn the repeal could open the door to billions in untraceable political donations flowing through tax-exempt religious organizations, according to the Campaign Legal Center. Trump cited receiving 94% of the evangelical vote as a mandate for these changes at the press conference, per FOX News.
Critics Say Report Grants Religious Privilege, Not Protection
The Interfaith Alliance has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the commission's makeup, arguing it lacks ideological diversity and "weaponizes" religious freedom to favor specific denominations, according to USA Today. Americans United for Separation of Church and State launched "The Commissioner Files" in April 2026 to document the panel's bias.
Washington Post and NBC News both characterized the report as an attempt to dismantle a cornerstone of American democracy. Supporters, including the First Liberty Institute, counter that the report restores the Constitution's "first freedom" — arguing that believers, not secularists, have faced the real discrimination. Attorney General Todd Blanche committed the DOJ to enforcing the new protections if adopted.
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