by Jorge Gomez • 3 minutes
On Monday, President Donald Trump delivered a timely address, emphasizing the central role of faith in America’s founding and its significance to our national identity.
Speaking to the Religious Liberty Commission at the Museum of the Bible, the President brought light to the ongoing threats to religious freedom and people of faith. He detailed his administration’s defense of faith-based values and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the constitutional right of all Americans to freely live out their faith.
Here are the main takeaways from the President’s speech:
- Reaffirmed our nation’s founding principles: “When faith gets weaker, our country seems to get weaker. When faith gets stronger… good things happen for our country. It’s amazing the way it seems to work that way. 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.”
- Called for Americans to come together in prayer: “Next year, we will celebrate 250 years since that Declaration was signed. As part of the grand commemoration… we’ve invited America’s great faith communities to pray for our nation, for our people, and for peace in the world.”
- Praised First Liberty client Shea Encinas, a 12-year-old California student who was forced in school to read material contrary to his religious beliefs: “Last year, in fifth grade, Shea was forced to read a book to a Kindergarten student promoting a message of radical gender ideology that is contrary to his religious beliefs and ours.”
- Honored First Liberty client Hannah Allen, a Texas student who stood up to school officials who she could not pray with her classmates. ““The school principal declared that Hannah’s generous act of love was prohibited…But Hannah very strongly stood her ground, and she won. And Hannah, I just want to thank you for letting the light of your faith shine for all to see.”
- Invited Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner to announce the launch of the “America Prays” initiative: “Think about the miracles that would take place over the next year…the transformation that you and I could witness in communities all across the land.”
- Previewed new rules protecting Americans’ right to pray in public schools: “I am pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools.”
- Highlighted the importance of faith in God: “To have a great nation, you have to have religion. I believe that so strongly. There has to be something after we go through all of this — and that something is God.”
- Defended American values of faith: “America has always been a nation that believes in the power of prayer and we will never apologize for our faith — ever, ever, never, never. We will never surrender our God-given rights. We will defend our liberties, our values, our sovereignty, and we will defend our freedom.”
- Admonished a Senator for denying that our rights come from God: “The need for this commission has never been more clear than it was last week when the ineffectual Senator from Virginia…stated that the notion our rights come from our Creator is ‘extremely troubling’ to him… It’s this Declaration of Independence that proclaims we’re endowed by our creator with the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. The Senator from Virginia should be ashamed of himself.”
- Committed to protecting America’s legacy of religious freedom, its heritage and traditions. “As president, I will always defend our nation’s glorious heritage, and we will protect the Judeo-Christian principles of our founding, and we will protect them with vigor. We have to bring back religion in America, bring it back stronger than ever before.
