Trump’s religious liberty report calls for building ‘bridges’ between church and state

Administration Trump’s religious liberty report calls for building ‘bridges’ between church and state Comments: by Julia Manchester - 06/26/26 5:06 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Julia Manchester - 06/26/26 5:06 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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A draft final report from President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission released Friday calls for “building bridges between church and state,” a reversal of a long-standing U.S. legal principle.

“Americans must know their rights and stand with courage when those rights are challenged,” the commission’s report read.

“To preserve this freedom, we must build bridges, not walls, between the City of God and the City of Man. If we do so, we will pass on a free and prosperous nation to the next generation,” it continues.

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The argument is a stark reversal of the legal principle that calls for the separation of church and state. The phrase “separation of church and state” does not explicitly appear in the Constitution, but the Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who is a vice chair on the president’s commission, argued on Friday that the political left has used the phrase “to batter and hammer people of faith for the last 70 to 80 years.”

“This report will speak very clearly that Americans understand that they can not be attacked by that phrase any longer,” Patrick said, speaking alongside Trump, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and members of the commission.

In addition to calling for “bridges” between church and state, the commission’s report also calls for the scrapping of the tax code provision known as the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits nonprofit groups, including religious organizations, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

Trump created his Religious Liberty Commission last year, appointing Patrick and Dr. Ben Carson to serve as vice chairs. Phil McGraw was also tapped by the president to be a part of the commission.

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