The Trump administration celebrated Christmas on Thursday by posting a series of religious messages from official government accounts, using language that drew criticism from those who pointed to the country’s separation of church and state.
While many lawmakers in both parties posted universal messages of love, joy and peace on the holiday, a number of cabinet members and agencies made references to Jesus and the religious meaning of Christmas.
“Today we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote. “May His light bring peace, hope, and joy to you and your families.”
Posts by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Homeland Security Department and the Labor Department followed in a similar vein.
“The joyous message of Christmas is the hope of Eternal Life through Christ,” Mr. Rubio said.
“Let Earth Receive Her King,” the Labor Department said.
Government officials have traditionally steered clear of such overtly religious language, as the Constitution bans an official state religion. The First Amendment’s establishment clause prohibits the government from establishing a religion or favoring one religion over another, while the free exercise clause protects the religious expression of all faiths.
In response to a request for comment, a White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, issued a short statement, saying: “Who are the critics? You? And Merry Christmas!”
One of the most extensive Christmas messages was posted by the Homeland Security Department on Christmas Eve. It read, “We are blessed to share a nation and a Savior,” and included a video that featured images including the American flag, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, President Trump and a Nativity scene, along with the words “Remember the miracle of Christ’s birth.”
Rachel Laser, the president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, condemned the message as “divisive and un-American” in a statement to The New York Times on Thursday.
“Our Constitution’s promise of church-state separation has allowed religious diversity — including different denominations of Christianity — to flourish in America,” she said, adding that Americans “should not have to sift through proselytizing messages to access government information.”
The Homeland Security post also drew strong responses online. Alex Nowrasteh, senior vice president for policy at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said: “Americans don’t share a religion. Our state is secular.”
Timothy Sandefur, the vice president for legal affairs at the conservative Goldwater Institute, said, “Whatever this department of the federal government may say, I appreciate and respect my Jewish fellow Americans.”
Laura Kennedy, a former ambassador who worked in the George W. Bush and Obama administrations, said: “I am a Christian. I am also a proud American because our laws were designed to prohibit a national religion.”
Some conservative Christians and far-right activists celebrated the video. David Millard Haskell, a religion and culture professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, said, “The more Americans embrace this sentiment, the better they will be able to face any threat that comes against them.” Jack Posobiec, a Trump loyalist and friend of the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, responded to the video: “Yes.”
About 62 percent of Americans identify as Christians, a decline of nine percentage points since 2014, according to the Pew Research Center.
In the last year, Mr. Trump has expanded the power and influence of conservative Christians across the government, advancing their political and ideological priorities with a promise to “bring back Christianity.”
In February, Mr. Trump created a task force at the Justice Department to “fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society” and “move heaven and earth to defend the rights of Christians and religious believers nationwide.” The executive order cited the convictions of anti-abortion demonstrators for blocking access to abortion clinics. In May, he established the Religious Liberty Commission in the Justice Department.
Mr. Trump also created a White House Faith Office led by his longtime personal pastor, Paula White-Cain, and Jennifer Korn, who worked in the first Trump administration. Evangelical leaders say the office, where Ms. White-Cain takes communion every day and displays Bibles, has given them closer access to the president.
On Thursday, the official social media accounts for the Republican Party also leaned into the religious aspects of Christmas, posting Bible verses and a painting of baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary with a caption that said, “Today, we remember that Jesus Christ is the reason for the Christmas season.”
Ashley Ahn covers breaking news for The Times from New York.
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