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Last Friday was a banner day for religious favoritism in the Trump administration. In Nashville, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a 鈥渟peech鈥� that was 鈥� for all intents and purposes 鈥� a Christian sermon. Addressing an association of Christian counselors, Secretary Pompeo discussed how to be a good Christian leader, quoting scripture and urging audience members to conduct themselves in accordance with his interpretation of biblical tenets. He also commandeered State Department resources to advertise his sermon in advance, broadcast it live, and disseminate a video of it afterward using the State Department鈥檚 official social media channels and website. As we explained in a letter sent today to the State Department鈥檚 Inspector General, this is not an appropriate or constitutional use of government resources. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits government officials from using their office to proselytize or promote religious favoritism. All anyone needed to do to confirm that the State Department crossed this constitutional line was visit the department鈥檚 website over the weekend, which prominently featured Secretary Pompeo鈥檚 sermon, 鈥淏eing a Christian Leader.鈥�

Thus, we鈥檝e demanded that the Inspector General launch an investigation to identify all misappropriations of State Department resources in connection with Friday鈥檚 speech, including the misuse of government employees鈥� time and the department鈥檚 social media accounts, website, and other technical resources. We also filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the State Department, seeking all documents relating to this matter.While Secretary Pompeo was sermonizing in Tennessee, another member of Trump鈥檚 cabinet, Attorney General William Barr, was delivering his own problematic speech at University of Notre Dame Law School in South Bend, Indiana.  From the start, the Trump administration has made clear that it favors Christians, or at least those Christians who fall in line with its , anti-immigration, anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ political agenda. Trump officials have twisted religious-liberty principles beyond recognition in an unrepentant and unyielding effort to protect and extend religious privilege to these select few Christians. But Barr鈥檚 address Friday took things even further, incorrectly pushing the view that free government is 鈥渙nly suitable and sustainable for a religious people,鈥� and suggesting that those who don鈥檛 subscribe to 鈥淐hristian morality鈥� are 鈥渇oes鈥� of democracy.  In the process, he railed at length against non-theists 鈥� or 鈥渟ecularists鈥� as he calls them 鈥� accusing them of being immoral and plotting the 鈥渙rganized destruction鈥� of religion.  According to him, without religion, humans are 鈥渆nslaved鈥� by 鈥渢he unbridled pursuit of personal appetites at the expense of the common good鈥� and 鈥渢he possibility of any healthy community life crumbles.鈥� For an administration that claims to lead the fight against persecution based on religious belief, Trump officials are certainly comfortable denigrating and demonizing huge numbers of people based solely on *checks notes* what they believe or don鈥檛.In Barr鈥檚 view, which is shared by many Trump administration officials, the United States was founded as a Christian nation and must return to its purported roots. He鈥檚 wrong. It鈥檚 true that most people were Christian at the founding of our country and that Christianity enjoys a majority-faith status even today. But the Constitution establishes a secular government because the framers were wise enough to recognize that faith (or lack thereof) should not determine an individual鈥檚 political standing within our society and that religious freedom thrives best when the government remains neutral and avoids religious favoritism. If only the Trump administration would heed their good judgment.