Trump admin accused of blurring the line between church and state with overtly religious Christmas messages [View all]
Source: The Independent
Saturday 27 December 2025 20:30 EST
Top officials and federal agencies in Donald Trump’s administration used their official government social media accounts to share explicitly religious messages and declare Jesus the nation’s savior during the week of Christmas, drawing warnings from First Amendment advocates fearing a critical breach of the church-and-state firewall. The Department of Homeland Security shared two videos on X with the caption “Christ is Born!” Another post from the agency included the caption “we are blessed to share a nation and a Savior” with an 85-second video with rapidly cut-together American Christmas imagery with a cassette-like filter.
Both messages were shared by the White House. “Merry Christmas to all. Today we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote that “the joyous message of Christmas is the hope of Eternal Life through Christ.” In a video posted to X, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins claimed that “the very best of the American spirit … flows from the very first Christmas, when God gave us the greatest gift possible: the gift of his son and our savior, Jesus Christ.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon wished “you and your family a day filled with lasting memories as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.” “Let Earth Receive Her King,” the official account for the Department of Labor wrote. Their messages and other posts across government accounts — sharply diverting from generalized greetings for religious holidays — swiftly drew criticism from First Amendment and religious freedom advocates who warned that the Trump administration is once again appearing to favor a religious state.
The First Amendment’s establishment clause prohibits the government from establishing a religion or favoring one over another, while the free exercise clause ensures the freedom to express one’s faith. Thomas Jefferson had stressed the importance of a “wall of separation between the church and state” to prevent religious dominance in governance.
Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-christmas-christian-church-state-b2891048.html
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