A Trump commission urges 'bridges' between church and state in sweeping draft report [View all]

Source: NBC News/AP

June 26, 2026, 7:51 PM EDT


A new report by a Trump administration commission suggests replacing the idea of separating church and state with the idea of building bridges between them. The assertion — challenging a longstanding concept in American law — comes amid a raft of recommendations in a draft report of the Religious Liberty Commission, released Friday afternoon.

The advisory body was created by President Donald Trump last year and filled almost entirely by conservative Christians. The 224-page draft report — part policy document, part philosophical argument — echoes members’ support for a stronger role for religion and religious expression in government, schools and the public square.

The report applauds recent Supreme Court decisions expanding rights to religious expression in public settings, such as creating opt-outs for religious objections to school lessons. The report recommends eliminating the “ Johnson Amendment ” that forbids political activities by tax-exempt religious groups — a longstanding goal of Trump. It calls for compensating military service members who were discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines.

It calls in general for allowing more religious expression in the public square, greater access to public money for faith-based agencies and broader exemptions for those claiming conscientious objections to policies ranging from vaccine mandates to pronoun usage to classroom lessons.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/religious-commission-urges-bridges-church-state-sweeping-draft-report-rcna352015

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The "bridges" were already there, built into the Constitution, with NO "STATE IMPOSED" MANDATORY RELIGION but allowing of the option to practice any religion one wanted OR NOT do any such thing.