Religious Liberty Tracker

The Religious Liberty Tracker reports on executive actions, legislation, judicial decisions and events that originate at the federal government and directly impact religious freedom.

Religious Liberty for All

• President Trump issued an executive order establishing the White House Faith Office.
   
• President Trump issued an executive order establishing a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias.
   
• President Trump appointed multiple Cabinet secretaries who are champions of religious liberty, such as Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner.
   
• The Trump DOJ has taken pro-religious liberty positions in U.S. Supreme Court cases.
   
• President Trump gave speeches at National Prayer Breakfast events highlighting the value of religious freedom.
   
• Vice President Vance gave a speech at the International Religious Freedom Summit highlighting the value of religious freedom.
   

Religious Liberty and Free Speech

• President Trump issued an executive order promoting free speech.
   
• President Trump pardoned 23 peaceful pro-life activists targeted by the Biden Department of Justice for their pro-life speech.
   
• The Trump DOJ limited enforcement of the FACE Act, which had been weaponized against pro-life advocates, and dismissed multiple FACE Act cases.
   
• President Trump called for the end of debanking of conservatives.
   
• Vice President Vance gave a speech at the Munich Security Conference urging European governments to protect religious liberty and free speech.
   

Religious Liberty and the Federal Government

• President Trump issued an executive order ending the weaponization of the federal government, including against parents at school board meetings, peaceful pro-life protestors, and those who adhere to “traditionalist Catholic ideology.”
   
• The Trump DOJ launched the Weaponization Working Group to investigate and eradicate the weaponization of the federal government.
   
• President Trump issued an executive order to ensure all foreign aid programs align with American values.
   
• President Trump issued a memorandum directing all departments and agencies to review funding provided to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and ensure all funding promotes the interests of the United States, such as religious liberty.
   
• President Trump issued multiple executive orders fighting back against the deep state.
  • Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions within the Federal Workforce
  • Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency”
  • Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives

   

Religious Liberty and Life

• President Trump issued an executive order mandating enforcement of the Hyde Amendment and ending the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote abortion in America, thereby protecting conscience rights for religious taxpayers who object to having their tax dollars used to fund abortion.
   
• President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, cutting off U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding nongovernmental organizations that perform or promote coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization, thereby protecting conscience rights for religious taxpayers who object to having their tax dollars used to fund abortion.
   
• President Trump shared a pro-life and pro-religious liberty video message with the March for Life attendees and supported Vice President Vance’s live speech.
   
• President Trump ended funding for:
  • abortion for illegal immigrants,
  • abortions at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, and
  • reimbursements of military members’ travel to receive abortions.

   

• President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the pro-abortion World Health Organization (WHO).
   

Religious Liberty and Parental Rights

• President Trump issued an executive order on school choice, supporting parents’ rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children and to choose private, faith-based, or public charter schools.
   
• President Trump issued an executive order to eliminate COVID-19 vaccine mandates at schools because of how they can usurp parental authority and religious freedom.
   

Religious Liberty and the Military

• President Trump issued an executive order to reinstate service members forced out of the military over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, including service members discharged over their religious objections to the vaccine.
   

Religious Liberty and Antisemitism

• President Trump issued an executive order to combat antisemitism, particularly on school campuses.
   
• The Trump DOJ launched a Task Force to combat antisemitism.
   
• The Trump HHS Office of Civil Rights opened investigations into educational institutions where antisemitic incidents were allowed to occur.

Religious Liberty and the Supreme Court

• President Trump issued an executive order ending the Biden-era commission on “court reform,” thereby signaling his rejection of radical changes to the U.S. Supreme Court.
   

Religious Liberty and Conscience

The Trump Administration’s actions outlined below have reduced or removed conflicts that previously existed for people of faith. Before these actions, people of faith may have been required to either support ideas that violated their faith or face negative consequences.

• President Trump issued an executive order ending “gender ideology” in the federal government and affirming that there are only two sexes, male and female. This executive order will allow the federal government to protect women’s sports, reauthorize faith-based organizations to partner with the federal government, and more.
   
• President Trump issued an executive order to keep men out of women’s sports, which was soon followed by a Department of Education letter enforcing the order.
   
• President Trump issued an executive order on protecting children from “chemical and surgical mutilation.”
   
• The Trump DOJ reversed the Biden administration’s position in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Skrmetti, stating that the United States does not believe that state laws banning gender transition drugs and procedures for minors violate the Equal Protection Clause.
   
• President Trump issued an executive order on prioritizing military excellence and readiness by reversing the Biden-era policies that allowed military personnel with gender dysphoria to serve in the military.
   
• President Trump issued an executive order combatting “radical indoctrination” in schools.
   
• The Trump Department of Housing and Urban Development halted enforcement of the HUD Gender Identity Rule.
   
• The Trump Department of Homeland Security rescinded the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for individuals legally emigrating to the United States, protecting conscience rights for those with religious objections to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.