WASHINGTON, D.C. – US President Donald Trump has announced the formation of a federal task force aimed at eliminating what he calls “anti-Christian bias” in government institutions, escalating his administration’s push to align policy with conservative Christian values.
Speaking at a national prayer breakfast in Washington on Thursday, Trump said the new task force—headed by Attorney General Pam Bondi—would work to end “persecution” of Christianity within federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, and the FBI.
“We will immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination,” Trump declared. “We will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, hospitals, and in our public squares.”
The move is the latest in a series of sweeping changes following Trump’s return to the White House, as his administration implements an aggressive right-wing agenda.
Since his inauguration last month, Trump has issued executive orders rolling back diversity programs and restricting transgender rights, among other conservative policies.
Alongside the task force, Trump also announced the creation of a “White House faith office” led by televangelist Paula White, his longtime spiritual advisor.
The office will oversee faith-based initiatives and liaise with religious groups on policy matters.
Trump’s push to position himself as a champion of Christian nationalism comes despite his long history of personal controversies, including a recent criminal conviction related to hush money payments.
Nevertheless, his base of right-wing Christian supporters has remained steadfast, seeing him as a defender of their values against what they perceive as liberal overreach.
Trump has previously not been known for deep religious conviction, but he has repeatedly said that surviving an assassination attempt during a June 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, strengthened his faith.
At another prayer event on Thursday, he reflected on the incident, saying, “It changed something in me. I believed in God, but now I feel even stronger about it. We have to bring religion back.”
In his January 20 inauguration speech, Trump framed his survival as divine intervention, proclaiming he had been “saved by God to Make America Great Again.”
The announcement of the task force has drawn mixed reactions, with supporters praising the administration for standing up for religious rights, while critics argue it risks further eroding the separation of church and state.
