This Easter weekend, as traditional Christians around the world rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the White House is once again echoing with prayers, proclamations, and a commitment to religious liberty rooted in America's founding faith.

During Holy Week and leading into Easter on Sunday, President Donald Trump hosted multiple White House events for national faith leaders, including prayer services in the Oval Office, an Easter lunch in the East Room, and worship gatherings featuring pastors such as Franklin Graham, Paula White-Cain, Jentezen Franklin, and Bishop Robert Barron. 

The gatherings included choral performances, prayers, and Trump's own remarks on religious liberty, with the administration issuing proclamations explicitly honoring the Christian faith and its doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Trump started with goal to identify, eliminate discriminatory policies and unlawful targeting of Christians

Barely two weeks into his second term, Trump issued an executive order establishing the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias within the Department of Justice. Led by cabinet members and agency heads, the task force aims to identify and eliminate discriminatory policies and unlawful targeting of Christians in federal agencies, addressing what the administration described as weaponization of government against people of faith. 

The next day, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the White House Faith Office within the Executive Office of the President and housed in the West Wing—the first such office dedicated exclusively to faith issues. 

The initiative empowers faith-based organizations, community groups, and houses of worship to strengthen American families, promote self-sufficiency, and protect religious liberty by integrating faith perspectives directly into federal policy discussions. 

Unlike previous faith-based initiatives under prior administrations, which were often located outside the West Wing, the office reports directly to the President.

Trump also created the Religious Liberty Commission in May 2025 during a National Day of Prayer event in the White House Rose Garden. Chaired by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick with Dr. Ben Carson as vice chair, the commission serves as an advisory body to promote and vigorously enforce America's foundational religious freedoms, including producing reports on the historical and societal impact of religious liberty while identifying ways to safeguard it from discrimination. 

It was positioned as a direct response to perceived erosions of those rights in recent years.

Trump's "America Prays" initiative 

In January of this year, Trump made a Religious Freedom Day proclamation following the launch in September of the "America Prays" initiative as part of the Freedom 250 celebrations for America's 250th anniversary, encouraging nationwide prayer by people of all denominations for wisdom and national renewal. 

Even other agencies under Trump are showing a renewed commitment to America's core value of religious freedom. The Department of Homeland Security on Friday, observed by Christians as Good Friday, posted to its social media accounts a photo of Christ hanging from the cross with the caption, "Luke 23:46. On this solemn day, we reflect on the ultimate sacrifice our Savior made for all humanity. Trust in God's plan." The passage is generally understood as a repetition of Jesus' last words.

Additionally, the State Department posted a photo of three crosses on a hill with a similar message: "On this Good Friday, the United States joins Christians around the world in reflecting on Christ's sacrifice, the power of redemption, and the hope of the Resurrection."