If you guessed that the Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission — now composed of Christian nationalist heavyweights, including Dr. Phil — spent its first hearing claiming America was founded as a Christian nation and insisting that religious dominance of public institutions is the historical norm, you’d be right.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick led the first gathering, with 11 other conservative Christians and one Orthodox rabbi, who are advising the White House on so-called threats to religious freedom. Patrick set the tone of the meeting, taking place in the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., by saying, “The Declaration of Independence is consistent with the bible, and the bible is consistent with the Declaration of Independence.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation will always stand up against that false narrative and thoroughly debunk those myths. These include the idea that America was founded as a Christian nation, the belief that religious dominance of public institutions is the historical norm, and the notion that fundamentalist Christianity is inherently good. Beyond the disinformation theme, this hearing offered a clear preview of how a second Trump administration plans to wield executive power to institutionalize Christian nationalist ideology.
Let’s start with what the commission actually is: a Justice Department-based advisory body designed to lay the groundwork for sweeping federal policy changes that prioritize religious belief, particularly Christian nationalist belief, throughout the machinery of government. Education, health care, civil service, and even public land policy — nothing is off-limits. It’s the religious liberty playbook from Project 2025, put into motion. Attorney General Pam Bondi commented that “I can assure you the DOJ will use every legal and constitutional tool available to ensure Americans can live out their faith freely without fear.”
The commission’s framing was clear: religion — specifically fundamentalist Christianity — is good. Its institutions are forces of “goodness” and therefore must be empowered to spread “the good news” with the government’s blessing and assistance. If fundamentalist ideas are good, then anyone who challenges them, such as secular Americans, non-Christians, or those who are not Christian enough, must be bad. The panelists offered no limiting principle, no definition of where their “free exercise” ends and others’ rights begin.
But here’s what stood out: They know they’re unpopular.
Kristen Waggoner, president of Alliance Defending Freedom, said bluntly: “We have a change in power, not a change in hearts.” That was the most revealing line of the entire hearing. Waggoner admitted what the commission wouldn’t say out loud: They may control the levers of government, for now, but their vision doesn’t have broad public support. The Supreme Court decisions Dobbs and 303 Creative weren’t even mentioned. They know their agenda is fragile. Without a large number of converts to their ideology, their victories — especially the erosion of state/church separation — can be undone. Their unpopularity is our greatest opportunity.
The Religious Liberty Commission is just one part of the machinery Trump is building to entrench Christian nationalism into federal policy. We’re ready to oppose an expected wave of new rules, religious exemptions, and faith-based mandates. The bigger question is: Will the DOJ start enforcing the Comstock Act? Will they use the full force of federal law to invade our bedrooms, our classrooms and our hospitals?
FFRF is ready. Our legal team is prepared to challenge attempts to weaponize religion in court. Through the FFRF Action Fund, our advocacy arm, we’ll fight back against Christian nationalist rules, oppose judicial nominations, spotlight threats in the reconciliation bill and take this debate to the American people — in this election and beyond.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Dann is the director of governmental affairs for FFRF Action Fund. Dann previously worked as the director of governmental affairs for the Secular Coalition for America (SCA). He has also served as the federal affairs director at Compassion & Choices, an end-of-life advocacy group, and as a democracy development consultant with the National Democratic Institute in Moldova and Iraq. And he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Crimea before it was invaded by Russia. Mark will help raise the national profile of the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Washington, D.C., where he is based. Mark lives in Washington, DC with his husband Sultan Shakir. They have a Chihuahua/Jack Russell Terrier who as a finalist in this year’s Running of the Chihuahua’s in DC.
