To maintain a strong display of democracy, political ideologies are not to be enforced by law; religious freedom is guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution under the First Amendment.
Now being his second term in office, President Donald Trump acknowledges that his faith has enormous sway over his politics.
“In America we don’t worship government, we worship God,” Trump said at the Celebrate Freedom event in July 2017. Over the course of his political career, Trump became closely affiliated to Christianity.
During his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump sparked controversy when he did not put his hand on the Bible. While there is no law requiring one to place their hand on the Bible, it is tradition for the president to do so while being sworn in.
He received backlash over the hypocrisy of advocating for conservative Christian values, and then proceeded to neglect the Bible while being sworn in.
Trump’s influence over the Supreme Court caused the infamous overturn of Roe v. Wade. Following the act’s removal, he posted a statement on social media to celebrate his role in the pro-life movement:
“I was able to kill Roe v. Wade,” he said in his post. He concluded his message by saying, “Without me the pro life movement would have just kept losing.”
Trump’s message illustrated his core-conservative Christian values, as he blatantly devalued the importance of reproductive healthcare in America.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump had assured the public that he will deny any attempt to enact a federal abortion ban. Due to his inconsistencies in relation to reproductive care, much of the public is skeptical of those claims.
Trump poses a direct threat to the LGBTQ+ community and their rights as American citizen, as his policies have especially targeted transgender people and their access to gender-affirming care.
He appointed countless judges who hold extreme anti-queer views, both on the Supreme Court and others. Because of this Trump will have an influence over the Supreme Court for years to come.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett was Trump’s most controversial nominee, who shamelessly advocated for her prejudiced opinions against the LGBTQ+. She is very public with her faith and has described herself as a faithful Catholic.
Now that Trump has established a sense of security within the government, he feels more confident in his politics.
During his inauguration speech, he introduced an executive order that would limit gender to only male and female.
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the U.S. government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said.
He hopes to implement this heteronormative gender ideology into the core values of America.
At the post-inauguration prayer service on Jan. 21, Rev. Mariann Budde spoke directly to the president in her sermon. “In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared,” Budde said.
“There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families,” Budde said. “They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.”
She publicly contradicted Trump’s belief system, as he has come to justify his policies with his faith.
While Budde’s plea had no true effect on the president’s ideologies, her courage should be seen as an example in challenging the injustice; change is only possible if the public remains united and persistent in protesting Trump’s policies.
