Huffman, Raskin, Colleagues Call Out Trump’s Religious Extremist Event in New Video
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Freethought Caucus Chairs Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) led their colleagues in a video regarding Trump’s state-sponsored religious extremist event on the National Mall.
This Sunday, Trump and several top administration officials are leading an event alongside conservative Christian clergy on the National Mall. The Rededicate 250 event is intended to rededicate America as “One Nation Under God” and insert a religious agenda into federal programming.
“Trump has orchestrated another spectacle of Christian Nationalist politics, which purports to be part of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. It’s an official state-sponsored event on the National Mall, where a host of extreme MAGA Christian nationalists, plus one conservative orthodox rabbi, will ceremonially “rededicate” America as “one nation under God.” Many of these speakers openly oppose the First Amendment’s guarantee of church-state separation, and you can bet that the central theme of this spectacle will be the Christian nationalist mantra – that America was founded as a Christian nation and must remain officially Christian,” Huffman said.
“This part of their project to redefine “America” and what it means to be a real American,” Huffman continued. “Under their narrow, exclusionary definition, the only true Americans are those who want a conservative Christian government – with a few conservative Jews allowed, as long as they use the term “Judeo-Christian.” Everyone else – the moderate and progressive Christians and Jews who support church-state separation, the Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Humanists, Agnostics and Atheists who make up the majority of our diverse, pluralistic nation – are deemed to be something less than true Americans.”
“Not only is this event a gross misuse of our government’s public spaces and resources for an overtly religious and deeply political purpose, it goes against everything the Founders fought for. America was founded as one nation under many religious perspectives, including not only Christians but also those who did not believe in God, and the rationalists and deists like Thomas Jefferson who rejected the premise of revealed religions. That’s why separation of church and state has always been a pillar of our constitution and of our democracy – and it’s why any serious “rededication” in this 250th year should lift up that pillar, not try to destroy it. But you don’t have to just believe me. My colleagues in the Congressional Freethought Caucus have the receipts,” Huffman added.
Members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus shared quotes in the video, listed below in order:
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08): quote by Thomas Jefferson
- Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02): quote by Sandra Day O’Connor
- Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02): quote by Ted Kennedy
- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01): quote by John F. Kennedy
- Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02): quote by Ulysses S. Grant
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08): quote by James Madison
- Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02): quote by Ted Kennedy
Founded in 2018 by Representatives Jared Huffman, Jamie Raskin, and former Representative Jerry McNerney, the Congressional Freethought Caucus advocates for true religious freedom, church-state separation, and for public policies based on facts, science, and reason. The caucus is made up of 36 Members of Congress and represents the diverse faiths and values of America—Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Humanists, and others
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