Trump to create religious office in White House, target ‘anti-Christian bias’
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday the creation of a White House faith office and appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead a task force aimed at addressing what he described as anti-Christian bias within the federal government.
Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol, Trump emphasized the importance of unity and shared how his perspective on religion had shifted following two failed assassination attempts last year.
Later, at a second prayer breakfast in Washington, he took a more political stance, celebrating recent efforts to eliminate “woke” policies and outlining measures to protect Christians from what he characterized as religious discrimination.
“This task force will immediately put an end to any form of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within federal agencies, including the DOJ, IRS, and FBI,” Trump declared. He further pledged that his attorney general would take action against anti-Christian violence and vandalism while defending religious freedoms across the nation.
Though he did not cite specific instances of anti-Christian bias, Trump has previously accused the Biden administration of using federal institutions to target Christians. On Thursday, he signed an executive order establishing the task force, which will review and recommend the elimination of policies deemed discriminatory.
The Biden administration has previously introduced strategies to combat anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry (December 2023) and antisemitism (September 2023). Trump’s new measures may raise constitutional concerns regarding the separation of church and state, as outlined in the First Amendment.
Trump’s policies continue to align with white evangelical Christian voters, a key Republican base. During his remarks, he also announced the revival of a White House Faith Office, appointing Rev. Paula White, his longtime religious adviser, as its leader.
A similar office was established during Trump’s first term, where he frequently consulted evangelical leaders. Additionally, he unveiled plans for a new commission on religious liberty and criticized the Biden administration for what he called the “persecution” of religious individuals, particularly in cases involving anti-abortion activists.
Since 2023, the National Prayer Breakfast has been split into two separate events—one attended by lawmakers at the Capitol and another private gathering at a hotel—following concerns about the management and funding of the original private event.