President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he plans to combat what he called “anti-Christian bias” in the U.S., revealing the formation of a task force led by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The task force, he said, will investigate alleged discrimination against Christians and be tasked with halting such practices within federal agencies like the DOJ, IRS, and FBI.
Speaking at events in Washington surrounding the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump also said Bondi would pursue prosecution of anti-Christian violence and vandalism, emphasizing the need to defend religious freedoms across the nation.
During his appearance at the Capitol for the annual National Prayer Breakfast—a decades-old tradition bringing together lawmakers across party lines—Trump reflected on his faith journey, saying his connection to religion deepened after surviving two assassination attempts in the past year. He called on Americans to “bring God back” into their lives.
Later in the day, however, his tone shifted at a second event hosted by a private group, where he announced a new commission on religious liberty and criticized the Biden administration’s handling of cases involving anti-abortion advocates. Trump also touted his previous efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and restrict transgender athletes from women’s sports. “Woke is gone-zo,” he declared.
The creation of the task force sparked criticism from groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State, whose president Rachel Laser argued it would misuse religious freedom to promote discrimination.
Trump, describing himself as a nondenominational Christian, reiterated that religious liberty is central to American values and should be fiercely protected. He credited divine intervention for sparing his life during an attempted assassination and said the incident strengthened his faith. “It was God that saved me,” he said.
Trump’s remarks also touched on past tensions with religious leaders and issues related to immigration and the role of churches as protected spaces. The National Prayer Breakfast, which has seen internal divisions in recent years, continues to serve as a major platform for national leaders to address matters of faith and policy.
