Pam Bondi (00:00):
… outlined in the president's executive order. Joining me today are members of the task force and individuals who have been impacted by the anti-Christian bias.
(00:12)
Together, this task force will identify any unlawful anti-Christian policies, practices, or conduct across the government, seek input from the faith-based organizations and state governments to end anti-Christian bias, find and fix deficiencies in existing and regulatory practices that might contribute to the anti-Christian bias.
(00:41)
As President Trump has stated, the Biden administration engaged in an egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians while ignoring violent anti-Christian offenses. The president is right, Biden's Department of Justice abused and targeted Christians, pro-life Christians were arrested and imprisoned for peacefully praying outside abortion clinics. The FBI spied on traditional Catholics in their parishes. President Biden declared Easter Sunday to be Transgender Day of Visibility. No longer. Vandalism against churches was eight times higher in 2023 than it was in 2018.
(01:26)
And at President Trump's directive, we ended those abuses at the Department of Justice on day one. We dropped three ongoing cases against pro-lifers and redefined the FACE Act to ensure that abuse would not continue and that American tax dollars were not used to support the weaponization of our legal system to target Christians. Just a few weeks ago, we convicted a man in Arizona for a plot to bomb Christian churches. The Department of Justice will protect religious liberty for Christians and for all Americans.
(02:01)
We'll work closely with everyone around this table and take a whole-of-government approach to solving this problem and ultimately, protect American's First Amendment rights. The First Amendment isn't just a line in the Constitution, it's the cornerstone of our American liberty. It guarantees every citizen the right to speak freely, worship freely, and live according to their conscience without government interference. Protecting Christians from bias is not favoritism. It's upholding the rule of law and fulfilling the constitutional promise.
(02:40)
Thank you to President Trump. We have an incredible opportunity, all of us around this table, to protect the rights of all citizens from discrimination based on their religious beliefs. And thank you all for being here based on this executive order, and I look forward to doing great work together. Now, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has a few words.
Todd Blanche (03:03):
Good afternoon, everybody. First, thanks, everybody, for coming and for members of the task force for being here today and for your commitment to this important effort.
(03:13)
If you look around this table and the leadership that's here, I know that combined with our shared determination to establish sound, effective policies and to push back against any form of anti-Christian or anti-religious bias that has taken root within the federal government, this will allow us to carry out the president's executive order.
(03:35)
I want to echo what Attorney General Bondi just said. Supporting the free expression of faith is not just a constitutional principle. It is something that all forms of civil government should be encouraging. At its core, the executive order we're here to talk about today affirms a fundamental truth, every individual has the freedom to choose their religious faith. And once made, that choice should never be subject to discrimination or bias from our government.
(04:06)
Now, unfortunately, over the past several years, we've seen troubling signs to the contrary. We have witnessed actions that suggest an underlying bias against people of faith, particularly Christians. This task force was created to make sure this never happens again in America. We will investigate what went wrong, uncover facts, and ultimately chart a path forward.
(04:30)
So, today we're going to hear from individuals who will share their personal stories, stories that reflect broader trends and challenges from the Biden administration's policies, policies that, frankly, strip people of their inalienable rights. We're also going to hear from members of this task force about the ways in which anti-Christian sentiment may have shown up in their departments or their agencies.
(04:56)
A key challenge that we face is a public misunderstanding of our form of government. We're a constitutional republic, not a pure democracy. And this distinction matters because in a republic, individual rights are protected even when unpopular. And misunderstanding this distinction allows our institutions and media to misrepresent our founding principles. Our government's purpose is to secure rights, not restrict them. So yes, this task force has a big job ahead, but it's a vital one and it's one that we're going to get done.
(05:35)
Finally, I want to thank the members of the media who are with us today. We appreciate your attention and your presence for this opening portion of the meeting. At this time, we'll be moving into our internal discussions, and so if you would please make your way out. We'll then continue with the rest of our work in a closed session. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Can we ask one question on topic? Any of those-
Pam Bondi (05:55):
Not now. Thank you. No press. No press. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
… the examples that each department's looking for, do you have any examples of the anti-Christian bias that you found in State Department or anywhere else?
Pam Bondi (05:59):
Thank you. No press. I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
[inaudible 00:06:06]. Thank you.
