Interfaith Alliance Responds to Trump’s Dangerous Politicization of National Prayer Breakfast, Religion

Contact: Ben DePasquale, [email protected]

Interfaith Alliance Responds to Trump’s Dangerous Politicization of National Prayer Breakfast, Religion

Interfaith Alliance, a leading national advocate for religious freedom and civil rights, responded today to President Trump’s outrageous comments at today’s National Prayer Breakfast, where he stated that “I don’t know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat. I really don’t” and falsely claimed to be championing and protecting religious liberty. 

Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, countered Trump’s disinformation and hyper-partisanship on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal this morning. 

He released the following statement responding to the president’s remarks:

“Faith in America has never belonged to one party — and it never will. It’s outrageous for President Trump to claim that only those who support him and his party can be true people of faith. It’s especially obscene that he made this claim at an event ostensibly dedicated to prayer and nonpartisanship. 

Our elected officials should be celebrating religious diversity - not pitting communities against each other or turning any one religious ideology into government policy. Religious Americans don’t need political protection from a president who uses prayer as a partisan weapon; we need protection from an authoritarian government that targets our neighbors communities, silences dissenting faith leaders, and undermines the constitutional promise of religious freedom for all. 

‍Today, I celebrate all the diverse faith leaders and communities, outside the halls of this breakfast, who are living out the tenets of their religions and upholding pluralistic democracy.”

Interfaith Alliance this week shared interviews with a number of Members of Congress who explained why they were uncomfortable attending the Prayer Breakfast - those interviews can be viewed here. 

Interfaith Alliance recently released a new memo detailing the Trump administration’s year-one attacks on religious communities — including Catholics, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Jewish Americans, and others — while falsely claiming to defend faith.

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‍Interfaith Alliance and Interfaith Alliance Foundation are a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information, visit interfaithalliance.org.

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