'Anti-Christian bias task force': How Trump is framing Christians as victims in world’s most Christian nation

US President Donald Trump has launched a federal task force to investigate alleged "anti-Christian bias" in government workplaces. The initiative, unveiled by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday, urges federal employees to report colleagues for perceived hostility toward Christian beliefs.
The task force was created through an executive order signed by Trump, who continues to position himself as a defender of conservative Christian values. The order comes despite Christians forming the religious majority in the United States—about two-thirds of the population—and enjoying significant political representation.
Federal employees have now been instructed to report suspected bias against Christian beliefs, providing names, dates, and details. A memo from Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins asked staff to flag any informal practices they believe are hostile to Christian views. Similar instructions have gone out to other agencies, including the State Department.

Trump’s religious rhetoric
Trump’s renewed focus on “Christian persecution” follows years of courting evangelical voters. His administration includes several known Christian nationalists, such as Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Though Donald Trump is not Catholic, he has been using more religious language in his public speeches, especially in recent years. His focus on faith became even stronger after a failed assassination attempt during a campaign rally. At the National Prayer Breakfast in February, Trump said, “God was watching me,” and spoke about the need for religion to play a bigger role in public life. “We have to make religion a much more important factor now,” he said. “It unifies people.”
As part of this renewed focus, Trump signed an executive order in February to set up a White House Faith Office. The aim, according to him, is to address what he calls “anti-Christian bias” in the federal government.
Evangelical pastor Paula White, who has been one of Trump’s closest spiritual advisers, continues to play a leading role in his faith-based efforts. She had earlier headed the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative during Trump’s first term.
What's Trump's religion?
For many years, Donald Trump identified as a mainline Protestant and regularly attended Marble Collegiate Church in New York. He often spoke about being influenced by the church’s well-known pastor, Norman Vincent Peale, who preached the power of positive thinking. But in a 2020 interview with Religion News Service, Trump shared that his religious views had shifted.
“Though I was confirmed at a Presbyterian church as a child, I now consider myself to be a nondenominational Christian,” he said.
Trump explained that the change came after he and First Lady Melania Trump started attending different types of churches and listening to a variety of spiritual leaders. He also mentioned that during the Covid-19 pandemic, they often joined online worship services, which gave them new perspectives on faith.