President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to religious freedom and announced plans to restore religion in America.
Trump made the remarks during a meeting of the White House Religious Liberty Commission on Sept. 8. The commission, chaired by Attorney General Pam Bondi, was set up through an executive order Trump signed earlier this year to protect religious liberty.
"When faith gets weaker, our country seems to get weaker," Trump said in his nearly one-hour address at the Museum of the Bibles in Washington, D.C. "When faith gets stronger, as it is right now […] 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."
In his speech, Trump criticized U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, for comments he made during a Sept. 3 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. Kaine said he found Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks about God-given rights “troubling.”
"The notion that rights don't come from laws and don't come from the government, but come from the Creator − that's what the Iranian government believes," Kaine, who identifies as Roman Catholic, said.
Trump responded, stating: “The senator from Virginia should be ashamed of himself for many things […] They were terrible words. As president, I will always defend our nation’s glorious heritage and we will protect the Judeo-Christian principles of our founding.”
President Trump also announced that the U.S. Department of Education is planning to implement guidance to protect prayer 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," which he says will address “threats” to students’ rights when trying to express faith.
Trump is also urging Americans to pray as the nation’s prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
"Next year, we will celebrate 250 years since that Declaration was signed," Trump said. "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."