Washington, D.C. — There is a commonly held but misleading perception in U.S. public discourse that the Trump administration’s policies have been largely favorable to faith communities. This is based on the administration’s narrow understanding of religion and public policy—one that privileges the concerns of a select group of conservative white Christians, mostly evangelical, who by no means represent all of America’s faithful.
The Trump administration may have catered its policies to a narrow religious demographic, but its impact on religious communities at large is a different story. A new report from the Center for American Progress exposes the reality that many of the administration’s policies have harmed religious communities—particularly religious minorities.
“The Trump administration has failed America’s faith communities,” said Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, a fellow with the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at CAP and co-author of the report. “Houses of worship and those of us who find belonging in them are hurting.”
The report shows how the administration has:
- Politicized and mismanaged its response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Undermined religious freedom
- Turned its back on religious communities fleeing persecution in their home countries
- Advanced Christian nationalism to cover for harmful policies
- Undermined many democratic norms, including the separation of church and state
- Caused faith-based nonprofits to lose billions of dollars in funding
“Religious minorities have been especially hard hit by this administration,” said Maggie Siddiqi, director of the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at CAP and co-author of the report. “In addition to policies that have harmed all faith communities, such as the chaotic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the administration has undermined religious freedom at home and abroad.”
Read the report: “How the Trump Administration Has Harmed Faith Communities” by Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Maggie Siddiqi, and Samantha Behar
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].