Trump religious liberty commission urges rethinking church-state separation
A draft report from President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, released on June 26, argues that the principle of strict separation between church and state is a legal misreading and that the country should instead build “bridges” between the two. The document frames religion as an “essential support” for American life and ties the separation doctrine to what it calls a “God is dead” ideology that originated in Europe.
The report’s concrete recommendations carry the most weight. It advises the president to direct the Justice Department to issue guidance “clarifying the proper understanding of the Establishment Clause,” and it calls for scrapping the Johnson Amendment, the tax-code provision that bars churches and other nonprofits from endorsing or opposing political candidates. Other proposals are largely symbolic — a Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty, “First Freedom Hero” awards, and historic-site markers honoring religion’s role in American history.
DOJ guidance does not change the law, but it shapes how the executive branch litigates and enforces it, which is where a reinterpretation of the Establishment Clause would first take effect. Repealing the Johnson Amendment would require Congress. The draft is open for public comment for 15 days.