The Trump DOJ’s task force against anti-Christian bias detailed numerous abuses by the Biden administration, including targeting homeschool families with investigations and prosecution.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) -- The Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) held the first meeting Tuesday of a new task force dedicated to rooting “anti-Christian bias” out of the federal government, detailing steps taken so far and issues yet to address.
In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating a “Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias,” headed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose job will be to review all executive-branch agencies to “identify any unlawful anti-Christian policies, practices, or conduct”; seek input from outside individuals and groups affected by such conduct, and make recommendations for administrative actions, rule changes, or new legislation.
According to a DOJ press release, the first meeting of this task force heard from numerous Trump department heads as well as private citizens either targeted by the Biden administration or involved in the resistance to its activities.
“As shown by our victims’ stories today, Biden’s Department of Justice abused and targeted peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” Bondi said. “Thanks to President Trump, we have ended those abuses, and we will continue to work closely with every member of this Task Force to protect every American’s right to speak and worship freely.”
A number of past offenses were discussed, including the Biden FBI claiming that so-called “Radical Traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology” is a potential motivator for “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists,” the Biden IRS eliminating tax-exempt status for various Christian nonprofits, and the previous administration’s work to promote gender ideology in public schools.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised several concerning allegations of bias, including some against Christian Foreign Service Officers who preferred to homeschool their children,” DOJ notes. “In one case, a family was threatened with an investigation for child abuse and curtailment if they insisted on homeschooling. In another case, a family was referred to the IRS, threatened with prosecution, and investigated by Biden’s Inspector General for insisting they homeschool their son.”
The task force also heard from Patrick Henry College founding president and First Amendment litigator Michael Farris about the Biden administration accusing Cornerstone Church of violating the Johnson Amendment (which restricts the political speech of tax-exempt religious organizations); Liberty University provost Dr. Scott Hicks about the administration fining the school as well as Grand Canyon University over their Christian views; and Navy SEAL Phil Mendes, who was relieved of duty for refusing the COVID-19 shot for religious reasons.
The Biden administration exhibited a pattern of hostility toward Christianity, especially as it intersected with issues of life and sexuality. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade inspired a wave of threats and vandalism against churches and pregnancy centers, yet the perpetrators mostly went unpunished, with former Attorney General Merrick Garland citing the supposed difficulty of gathering evidence. By contrast, the administration aggressively prosecuted numerous peaceful pro-life advocates using the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
In his first weeks back in the White House, Trump took several actions to begin reversing his predecessor’s handiwork, including pardons for 23 pro-life FACE Act detainees, strict new limits on future FACE Act use, and ending the prosecution of a whistleblower who exposed child mutilation practices at a Texas hospital.
