He has a souvenir bible, he created a faith office in the White House, and believes God spared him from assassination so he could win back the presidency.
Now, Donald Trump wants to Make America Pray Again, at least once a week, as he vows to restore the nation’s religious identity.
Ahead of the U.S. celebrating its 250th birthday next year, the president has urged Americans to dedicate one hour a week to prayer, preferably with groups of at least 10 other people, as part of a new initiative designed to “bring back religion in America.”
“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,” he said on Monday after taking part in a prayer session led by Housing Secretary Scott Turner.
“We will never surrender our God-given rights.”
The new “America Prays” initiative was unveiled by the White House ahead of a meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission at the Museum of the Bible in Washington.
The commission, chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi, was set up through an executive order Trump signed earlier this year in a bid to protect religious liberty.
But critics say the group is designed to reject religious diversity in order to prioritize one set of Christian beliefs.
“Once again, President Trump is using religion to promote his self-aggrandizement and political agenda, all the while perpetuating the lie that America is a Christian nation and that religion is under attack,” said Rachel Laser, chief executive of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
“People who care about religious freedom don’t need to be told when or how to pray; they need leaders who are committed to separation of church and state.”
The commission is nonetheless part of Trump’s longstanding push to champion religious freedom through his second term.
He continues to lend his name to a God Bless the USA bible that he endorsed ahead of last year’s election, which fans can now buy for $99.99 per “presidential edition”.
He also created the White House Faith Office, headed by controversial Florida pastor Paula White, whose ministry Without Walls International Church was previously investigated for misusing charitable, tax-exempt funds.
Trump also established a task force to weed out “anti-Christian bias” and has pardoned almost two dozen pro-life activists who were sentenced under Joe Biden for attacking abortion patients and clinics.
At Monday’s event, the president also flagged new Department of Education guidelines designed to protect prayer in public schools, claiming that students were being indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda.
He did not provide any details or timelines, but the issue is likely to be contentious due to the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which requires a separation of church and state.
“For most of our country’s history, the Bible was found in every classroom in the nation, yet in many schools today, students are indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda,” Trump told the meeting.
He also declared that the “woke agenda” was “practically gone” in schools, but urged religious leaders to remain vigilant.
“It’s like a weed. You think you killed it, and then it starts growing again. So we have to be careful,” he said.
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