President Donald Trump promised on Sunday in a Truth Social post that he would help make the United Sates “more religious.”
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment on Sunday.
Why It Matters
The separation of church and state has been a key constitutional principle in the U.S. since the nation’s founding days and is established in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. At the same time, there is also debate about the precise balance of the separation.
What To Know
Trump posted to Truth Social, his social media platform, on Easter morning, writing: “We are, together, going to make America bigger, better, stronger, wealthier, healthier, and more religious, than it has ever been before!!! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!”
The message was an apparent play on his longtime “Make America Great Again” slogan. The president has consistently drawn significant support from conservative Christians, and the “more religious” part of the message is a nod to this portion of his base.
Trump, who was raised and confirmed as Presbyterian, announced in 2020 that he now identifies as a non-denominational Christian.
Polling by Pew Research Center in September 2024 showed Trump enjoyed significant majority support from three key religious demographics. Among white evangelical Protestants, 82 percent supported Trump, while 61 percent of White Catholics and 58 percent of White non-evangelical protestants also backed him.
Then-Vice President Kamala Harris, conversely, had significant majority support from Black protestants (85 percent), Jewish voters (65 percent), Hispanic Catholics (65 percent), agnostics (78 percent) and atheists (85 percent).
Donald Trump prays during a roundtable discussion with Latino community leaders at Trump National Doral Miami resort in Florida on October 22, 2024. Donald Trump prays during a roundtable discussion with Latino community leaders at Trump National Doral Miami resort in Florida on October 22, 2024. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
What Does Separation of Church and State Mean?
The Constitution’s First Amendment is the basis for the separation of religion and government. The Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”
Some say this means all religion and religious messages should be removed from the government, and things like public prayers should not be held in Congress or official government events. However, historically prayer and some religious messaging has long been part of government activity.
In recent years, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court has been seen to be more friendly toward allowing more religious expression in public spaces, as well as expanding what “religious freedom” makes permissible in public society. In some Republican-led states, leaders have pushed for incorporating the Bible into public school curriculum, and prominently displaying the 10 Commandments from the Old Testament in schools and government buildings.
At the same time, some groups continue to fight against these efforts, saying they infringe on the freedoms of non-religious individuals, or those who identify with non-Christian faiths. Many of these issues are challenged in the courts, and the judiciary branch will ultimately determine how the Constitution should be interpreted on these matters.
What People Are Saying
Will Wright, host of the Faithful Politics podcast, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in response to Trump’s Sunday post: “‘More religious’? Whose religion are we talking about now?”
Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical Christian leader, wrote on X last week: “It is such a blessing to have an Administration that recognizes the importance of faith and isn’t afraid to call on the name of Jesus Christ. God bless them!”
What Happens Next?
Issues of religious freedom and the First Amendment’s meaning will continue to be a prominent constitutional issued debated in society.
Meanwhile, recent polling by Pew Research has shown that the percentage of Americans identifying as Christians has declined from 78 percent in 2007 to 63 percent in 2024. Additionally, less than half of young Americans identify as Christian.
Update 4/20/25, 11:56 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
