There’s trouble in paradise. Well, maybe not paradise. But at least what the Trump administration thought would be a friendly propaganda group to help them weaponize religion.
The White House’s so-called “Religious Liberty Commission” was designed to claim the mantle of faith in the fight against Democrats. But instead, a heated debate about antisemitism this week led to one member being ousted — though she’s even fighting that, insisting she hasn’t actually been kicked out. This civil war is ironic since this week the administration was sued by several groups that advocate for true religious liberty for all. The groups noted the lack of ideological and religious diversity on the panel. But even then, the MAGA panel couldn’t keep the peace.
It should be noted from the outset that there’s not a hero in this commission saga. But the debate highlights some important issues about religious bigotry and theology. It features a former beauty pageant contestant — who was oddly chosen for the commission — uttering antisemitic remarks, including a comment based on weaponizing the Bible against Jews. Meanwhile, this implosion occurred as some groups pushed for a better understanding of religious liberty.
Given the importance of promoting religious liberty and combating antisemitism (which includes defining it appropriately) — as well as the importance of addressing other forms of religious bigotry, like Islamophobia — this issue of A Public Witness divides into the debates swirling around the White House’s “Religious Liberty Commission” this week.
Screengrab as members of the White House Religious Liberty Commission meet in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 10, 2026.
Stacking the Deck
Although the phrase “religious liberty” appears in the title of the commission, it’s really advancing Christian Nationalism and working against true religious liberty for all. Trump announced its creation during a Christian Nationalist event at the White House last May.
He then stuffed the commission with a bunch of rightwing figures with similar viewpoints, leaving out anyone who recognizes that church-state separation is essential to protecting actual religious liberty for all people. Like the commission’s chair, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who Trump said encouraged him to create the group. Patrick has called the U.S. “a Christian nation” and claimed “there is no separation of church and state.” He even argued, “We were a nation founded upon not the words of our founders, but the words of God because he wrote the Constitution.” At the Rose Garden event announcing the commission, Patrick falsely claimed Trump talks about Jesus more than all other presidents (starting the new commission off with a sloppy lie was an early warning sign).
Other members of the commission similarly have a history of pushing Christian Nationalism and historical myths about the founding of the United States.
The rest of this piece is only available to paid subscribers of the Word&Way newsletter A Public Witness. Subscribe today to read this essay and all previous issues and receive future ones in your inbox.
