President Sends Yom Kippur Greetings to the Jewish Community

The White House today posted President Trump's Message on Yom Kippur (full text) which begins today at sundown. The message says in part:

As you observe this blessed day, my Administration is working to strengthen our proud national tradition of religious liberty, end faith-based persecution, and further the sacred cause of peace both at home and abroad.

We wish the Jewish faithful a meaningful Sabbath of Sabbaths.  May you be inscribed in the Book of Life, may God bless you, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.

President Sends Rosh Hashanah Greetings

Rosh Hashanah-- the Jewish New Year-- begins at sundown this evening. The White House today posted a Presidential Message on Rosh Hashanah. In it, President Trump said in part: 

As the Jewish community gathers for this special time of spiritual renewal, my Administration recommits to upholding religious liberty and ending faith-based persecution—including the scourge of anti-Semitism.  Above all, we pledge to build a future of peace—and to recognize the dignity imprinted on every human soul.

Religious Liberty Commission Hearing Features Remarks by President Trump

Yesterday, the Religious Liberty Commission that was created in May by an Executive Order of Donald Trump held its second hearing (Video of full hearing). The hearing was held at The Museum of the Bible. President Trump was a featured speaker (video of Trump's remarks) (transcript of Trump's remarks). His wide-ranging speech began with the President saying, in part:

... America was founded on faith, as we know and I've been saying it for a long time. And when faith gets weaker, our country seems to get weaker. When faith gets stronger, as it is right now, we're having a very good period of time after some rough years, good things happen for our country. It's amazing the way it seems to work that way. And under the Trump administration, we're defending our rights and restoring our identity as a nation under God. We are one nation under God, and we always will be....

... I'm pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools and its total protection....

During his remarks, the President invited Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner to speak about developments. Turner said in part:

How many know we have a godly, faithful cabinet? And a cabinet that prioritizes prayer. On July 3rd, Mr. President, of this year, you kicked off the year-long celebration of America's 250th birthday in Iowa. You invited America's faith communities to come together to pray for our country. Well, Mr. President, America's faith communities are responding with overwhelming enthusiasm.... Today, more than 70 major faith organizations and churches have joined together to participate in what we're calling America Prays....

... What if 1 million people prayed for our country every single week between now and next July 4th? ... What if believers all across this great nation got together with 10 people, friends, family members, colleagues, work associates, ten people each week to pray for our country and for our fellow citizens.... Think about the transformation that you and I could witness in communities all across the land. Sons returning to their fathers. Daughters returning to their mothers. Families coming back together. Health being restored. Financial needs being met. Mountains being moved.... We're a nation that has always believed in the power of prayer....

... Lord, not just Democrat, not just Republican, but all American people will come together under the banner of Yahweh of God Almighty. And Lord God, we praise you. And we thank you. And we love you. In Jesus name, Amen. [Audience members respond "Amen"]

The White House posted a press release summarizing the main points of Trump's speech. USA Today reports on the hearing. The White House yesterday also issued a press release titled "President Trump’s Top 100 Victories for People of Faith."

Executive Order Targets Religious and Political Discrimination by Banks

Yesterday President Trump issued an Executive Order (full text) titled Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All. The Executive Order requires banking agencies to take steps to prevent, and to remedy past, "politicized or unlawful debanking." The Order provides in part:

The term “politicized or unlawful debanking” refers to an act by a bank ... or other financial services provider to ... adversely restrict access to, or adversely modify the conditions of, accounts, loans, or other banking products or financial services ... on the basis of the customer’s or potential customer’s political or religious beliefs, or on the basis of [their] ... lawful business activities that the financial service provider disagrees with or disfavors for political reasons.

Trump Issues Message to Christians Celebrating Pentecost

The White House today posted a Presidential Message on Pentecost, 2025 (Full text). The Message reads in part:

Today, I join in prayer with Christians joyfully celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost—one of the most sacred events of the Christian faith. We commemorate the fulfillment of Jesus Christ’s earthly mission and the birth of His holy and living Church....

As we celebrate this glorious feast day, we also honor all Christians who, like the Apostles, have willingly endured persecution because of their faith.  My Administration will always defend the right of every American to worship God freely and without fear.  For this reason, I created the White House Faith Office and proudly instituted the White House Religious Liberty Commission to safeguard and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom.  Under my leadership, we are protecting God in the public square and emboldening every believer to live their faith freely, openly, and without threat of persecution....

Members of Religious Liberty Commission Advisory Boards Named

As previously reported, earlier this month President Trump issued an Executive Order creating a Religious Liberty Commission.  Members of the Commission were also named at that time. Now (May 16), the White House has announced names of members of three Advisory Boards to the Commission: an Advisory Board of Religious Leaders, an Advisory Board of Legal Experts, and an Advisory Board of Lay Leaders. The Board of Religious Leaders and the Board of Legal Experts each includes Catholic, Protestant and Jewish representation. The Board of Lay Leaders includes Protestant and Muslim representation.

Trump Issues Proclamation on Jewish American Heritage Month

Jewish American Heritage Month began May 1. On May 16, President Trump issued a Proclamation (full text) formally declaring May as Jewish American Heritage Month. The Proclamation reads in part:

Since the day I resumed my duties as President — and following President Washington’s example — my Administration has been determined to confront anti-Semitism in all its manifestations.  I say that at home and abroad, on college campuses and in city streets, this dangerous return of anti-Semitism — at times disguised as anti-Zionism, Holocaust denialism, and false equivalencies of every kind — must find no quarter.

We proudly celebrate the history and culture of the Jewish people in America, and we hold that President Washington’s words, though nearly 250 years old, still carry the revolutionary promise of our Republic:  that every citizen who demeans himself as a good citizen shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree — a covenant added to a blessing.

I believe there has never been a greater friend to the Jewish people than my Administration.  We will never deviate from our conviction that anti-Semitism has no place in the greatest country in the world.  As the 47th President of the United States, I will use every appropriate legal tool at my disposal to stop anti-Semitic assaults gripping our universities.  We will proudly stand with our friend and ally, the State of Israel.  I will never waver in my commitment.

President Trump Congratulates New Pope

In a message posted yesterday on Truth Social and X, President Trump congratulated newly elected Pope Leo XIV, saying:

Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!

Catholic Leaders Criticize Trump Over AI Picture of Him as Pope

An unusual conflict between the President of the United States and Catholic leaders has surfaced.  It began last Wednesday with what, according to National Catholic Reporter, was seen as a humorous remark by President Trump to reporters:

"I'd like to be pope. That would be my number one choice," the president joked, before endorsing his friend, New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan for the Catholic Church's top job.

Then on Friday, Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social account and his X (formerly Twitter) account this AI generated photo of himself dressed as the Pope. It was also re-posted on the White House's X (formerly Twitter) account.

According to National Catholic Reporter in an article today:

U.S. President Donald Trump is facing a firestorm of criticism from leaders of the Roman Catholic Church after posting on social media a computer-generated image of himself as pope in full papal regalia as Catholics worldwide continue to mourn Pope Francis....

On social media, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, said Trump owes an apology to Catholics.

"This is deeply offensive to Catholics especially during this sacred time that we are still mourning the death of Pope Francis and praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the election of our new Pope," Paprocki wrote.

Paprocki quoted a Bible verse from Galatians that admonishes, "God is not mocked." He said, "By publishing a picture of himself masquerading as the Pope, President Trump mocks God, the Catholic Church, and the Papacy."

The New York State Catholic Conference said on X there is "nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us."

In Rome, Dolan, the archbishop of New York, was stopped by reporters and asked about it. "I hope he didn’t have anything to do with that," Dolan said in a video posted on social media by a multimedia journalist for the New York Archdiocese. 

"Are you offended by that?" a journalist asked. 

Dolan paused and replied, "It wasn’t good." He repeated that in Italian for Roman journalists and laughed nervously....

A Catholic News Service article quoting Cardinal Dolan was posted today on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

President Trump Issues Executive Order Creating a Religious Liberty Commission

Yesterday, President Trump issued an Executive Order (full text) establishing a Religious Liberty Commission. According to the Executive Order:

The Commission shall advise the White House Faith Office and the Domestic Policy Council on religious liberty policies of the United States.  Specific activities of the Commission shall include, to the extent permitted by law, recommending steps to secure domestic religious liberty by executive or legislative actions as well as identifying opportunities for the White House Faith Office to partner with the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to further the cause of religious liberty around the world.

The Executive Order also calls for the President to appoint 3 Advisory Boards to advise members of the Commission-- an advisory board of religious leaders, an advisory board of lay leaders, and an advisory board of legal experts. The White House also issued a Fact Sheet (full text) summarizing the Commission's role, saying in part:

The Commission is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, strategies to increase awareness of and celebrate America’s peaceful religious pluralism, current threats to religious liberty, and strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.

Key focus areas include parental rights in religious education, school choice, conscience protections, attacks on houses of worship, free speech for religious entities, and institutional autonomy....

The Executive Order was signed at a White House National Day of Prayer Event (video of event).

Chairman of the Commission is Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. Vice-Chair is Dr Ben Carson.  Other members of the Commission as announced in a press release by Lt. Gov. Patrick are:  Ryan Anderson, Bishop Robert Barron, Carrie Boller, Cardinal Timothy Dolan (Archbishop of New York), Rev. Franklin Graham, Allyson Ho, Dr. Phil McGraw, Eric Metaxas, Kelly Shackelford, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik and Pastor Paula White. In addition, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Scott Turner (Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), and Vince Haley (Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy) are ex officio members of the Commission.

Catholic News Agency reports on the creation of the Commission.

UPDATE: President Trump also issued a National Day of Prayer Proclamation, declaring May 1 as a National Day of Prayer.

Trump Administration Fires 5 Last-Minute Biden Appointees to U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council

The Trump Administration has dismissed five Biden appointees who were serving 5-year terms on the 68-member United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Those dismissed were among 12 individuals appointed to vacancies on the Council by President Biden just days before his term of office ended. The Council serves as the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The highest profile dismissal was that of Doug Emhoff, former First Gentleman who took a prominent role in fighting antisemitism during the Biden Administration. CNN reports on additional firings:

Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain; Anthony Bernal, a senior adviser to former first lady Jill Biden; Jennifer Klein, a former director of the White House Gender Policy Council; and Susan Rice, who served as a domestic policy adviser to Joe Biden and helped develop his administration’s strategy to combat antisemitism, were among the other Biden appointees who were fired from the board, sources familiar with the matter said....

Not all Biden-era appointees have received emails notifying them of their dismissal, according to one Biden appointee who sits on the board.

DOJ Hosts First Meeting of Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias

 A Department of Justice press release reports that yesterday the DOJ hosted the inaugural meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias.  The Task Force was created by an Executive Order of President Trump. Yesterday's press release described the Task Force meeting, saying in part:

The witnesses included:

Michael Farris: First Amendment Litigator and Founding President of Patrick Henry College. Farris spoke on behalf of Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick to discuss how Cornerstone Church was under investigation and charged by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for so-called Johnson Amendment violations....

Dr. Scott Hicks: Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Liberty University. Hicks described how Liberty University and Grand Canyon University were singled out by the Biden Administration for fines due to the schools’ Christian worldview.

Phil Mendes: Navy Seal. Mendes was relieved of duty during Biden Administration for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious exemption requests that were denied by the Department of Defense.

 “As shown by our victims’ stories today, Biden’s Department of Justice abused and targeted peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to President Trump, we have ended those abuses, and we will continue to work closely with every member of this Task Force to protect every American’s right to speak and worship freely.”

Additionally, members of the Task Force highlighted specific cases within their own agencies where the Biden Administration unfairly and harshly punished Christian Americans for their religious beliefs.

UPDATE: The DOJ has posted video of opening remarks at the meeting by Attorney General Bam Bondi and  Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

President Responds to Death of Pope Francis

President Trump issued a Proclamation (full text) yesterday ordering flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of the late Pope Francis' funeral. The President announced yesterday on Truth Social that he and the First Lady will attend the Pope's funeral in Rome.

President Issues Holy Week Message, Promising to Defend Christian Faith in Schools and Government Facilities

Yesterday, the White House issued a Presidential Message on Holy Week, 2025 (full text). The President said in part:

During this sacred week, we acknowledge that the glory of Easter Sunday cannot come without the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross.  In His final hours on Earth, Christ willingly endured excruciating pain, torture, and execution on the cross out of a deep and abiding love for all His creation.  Through His suffering, we have redemption.  Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins.  Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life.  On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness—signaling that death does not have the final word.

This Holy Week, my Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government.  We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life, and protecting God in our public square.

President Sends Passover Greetings on YouTube

On Saturday, President Trump on a YouTube post sent Passover greetings to the Jewish people in America, Israel, and around the world. He said in part:

The story of Exodus, which is retold around the globe and all over the world at every Passover Seder, is a reminder not only of the enduring strength of the Jewish people, but of the importance of putting our faith in Almighty God no matter what the circumstance.

Passover began at sundown on Saturday night.

Trump Selects Antisemitism and International Religious Freedom Ambassadors

President Trump announced yesterday on Truth Social that he is nominating Yehuda Kaploun as the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador-at-Large. According to The Forward:

Trump’s announcement elicited a wave of sharply antisemitic comments on the social network....

Kaploun is affiliated with Chabad, the Orthodox movement, and was a fundraiser and surrogate for Trump during last year’s campaign.....

Kaploun is replacing Deborah Lipstadt.

Trump also announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he is nominating former Congressman Mark Walker as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. In his own post on X, Walker expressed his thanks to Trump, saying in part:

As a former minister, along with serving in Congressional leadership, I'm open-eyed to the bad actors and regions committing these atrocities against people of faith.

Both Kaploun's and Walker's nominations are required to be confirmed by the Senate. The White House has not indicated on its website that the nominations have yet been formally submitted to the Senate.

Fired EEOC Commissioner Sues President

Yesterday, former EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels filed suit alleging that her removal from the Commission by President Trump was illegal. The removal of Samuels and a second Commissioner (both Democrats) left the EEOC without a quorum so that it cannot undertake any action that requires a Commission vote. Samuels, along with two other Democratic commissioners, had issued statements critical of President Trump's Executive Orders on DEI programs, transgender individuals and employment discrimination by federal contractors. The complaint (full text) in Samuels v. Trump, (D DC, filed 4/9/2025), alleges in part:

Congress did not grant the president authority to remove EEOC Commissioners at will.  Rather, the EEOC’s structure, mission, and functions, along with the terms set for Commissioners, demonstrate Congress’s intent to provide the Commission continuity, stability, and insulation from political pressure exerted by the president.  Because the Commissioners perform predominantly quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative functions, these restrictions on the president’s removal authority are constitutional....

Defendant Trump lacked cause to remove Commissioner Samuels.  The issues he identified in his January 27, 2025, email constitute policy disagreements between him and Commissioner Samuels.  By mandating bi-partisan membership on the Commission, Congress deliberately structured the agency to accommodate likely policy differences between the president and some Commissioners....

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws barring employment discrimination, including religious discrimination in employment. The Hill reports on the lawsuit.

Court Enjoins Implementation of Ban on Transgender Individuals Serving in the Military

In Talbott v. United States, (D DC, March 18, 2025), the United States federal district court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction barring the military from implementing Executive Orders and military memoranda that exclude transgender persons from serving in the military. The injunction requires the military to maintain the pre-Trump status quo on military service by transgender individuals. Explaining its decision, the court's 79-page opinion said in part:

The Court agrees that “courts [are] ill-equipped to determine the impact upon discipline that any particular intrusion upon military authority might have” and that “the military authorities [not courts] have been charged by the Executive and Legislative Branches with carrying out our Nation’s military policy.”... Often, courts accept “the reasoned, professional analysis of Congress and the Executive on matters strictly within the realm of military expertise.”...   

Defendants carry deference too far, however.  By “defer” they basically mean the Court must side with the military’s position, end-stop.  And they contend the Court must defer even if the judgment, as here, does not make sense....

The Court ... applies Bostock’s reasoning to analyze the Military Ban.  In doing so, it does not “import[] the Title VII test for liability,” ... into the equal protection guarantee of the Fifth Amendment.  Rather, it borrows Justice Gorsuch’s reasoning to conclude that transgender discrimination is a form of sex discrimination for purposes of the equal protection inquiry....

... [B]ecause the Military Ban targets transgender persons for disparate treatment, it creates an explicit sex-based classification that requires application of intermediate scrutiny. ...

The court also concluded that the Military Ban is subject to intermediate scrutiny because transgender persons should be considered a quasi-suspect class. The court went on:

Defendants have articulated important government objectives in military readiness, unit cohesion, and saving costs.  But the Fifth Amendment requires more than pointing to such “broadly formulated interests.”...  Defendants must show that the discriminatory Military Ban is in some way substantially related to the achievement of those objectives.  And they must do so without relying on “overbroad generalizations about the different talents, capacities, or preferences of males and females.” ... They do not come close.  Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claim that the Military Ban fails intermediate scrutiny review.....

The Military Ban is soaked in animus and dripping with pretext.  Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact.  Thus, even if the Court analyzed the Military Ban under rational basis review, it would fail....

The Court could stop here in its analysis and comfortably conclude that Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claim that the Military Ban is motivated by animus and is not tailored to meet its stated goals.  But, as they say, there is more, for the Military Ban does not stand alone.  President Trump has signed an executive order recognizing the existence of only two sexes; blocked schools from using federal funds to promote the idea that gender can be fluid; directed the State Department to stop issuing documents that allow a third “X” gender marker; changed references to “LGBTQI+” on government websites to “LGB,” erasing not just transgender persons, but intersex people as well; revoked the ability of transgender federal employees to receive gender-affirming care; and directed that all incarcerated transgender persons be denied medical treatments and be housed by birth sex, where they are nine times more susceptible to violence....

NPR reports on the decision.

Trump Nominates Brian Burch as Ambassador to the Vatican

Yesterday, President Donald Trump formally submitted to Congress the nomination of Brian Burch to be U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. Burch is President of CatholicVote. According to Catholic News Agency, last December Trump announced on Truth Social that he intended to nominate Burch for the position. CNA's report in December said in part:

CatholicVote is a political advocacy group that endorsed Trump in January and ran advertisements in support the president-elect during his campaign. According to CatholicVote, the organization spent over $10 million on the 2024 elections.

Trump Issues Ash Wednesday Greetings

Today the White House released an Ash Wednesday Message (full text) from President Trump and the First Lady. The Message reads in part:

This Ash Wednesday, we join in prayer with the tens of millions of American Catholics and other Christians beginning the holy season of Lent—a time of spiritual anticipation of the passion, death, and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ....

As we solemnly contemplate Jesus Christ’s suffering and death on the cross this Lent, let us prepare our souls for the coming glory of the Easter miracle.

We offer you our best wishes for a prayerful and enriching Lenten season....