Speaking at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump declared that his administration will soon release updated federal guidelines designed to strengthen protections for prayer in public schools. The announcement came during a speech centered on religious liberty, a theme the president has consistently emphasized throughout his term.
“I am pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools, and it’s total protection,” Mr. Trump said, receiving strong applause from attendees gathered ahead of a meeting of the Justice Department’s Religious Liberty Commission. While the president did not provide detailed specifics about what the new directive would entail, he framed the effort as part of a broader initiative to protect religious expression for students across the nation.
Throughout his remarks, Mr. Trump criticized what he described as a cultural climate that discourages religious expression in schools. He argued that it is “ridiculous” that many students are “indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda, and some are even punished for their religious beliefs.” The president positioned the forthcoming guidance as a corrective measure to ensure that students of faith can express themselves freely without fear of reprisal from school administrators or districts.
To underscore his point, Mr. Trump highlighted the experience of Hannah Allen, a Texas middle school student who faced restrictions on her ability to pray for an injured friend in the cafeteria of Honey Grove Middle School in 2018. According to the First Liberty Institute, which represented Allen, the school initially directed students to conduct their prayers behind a curtain, in an empty gymnasium, or outside the building. Under pressure from religious liberty organizations, the Honey Grove Independent School District eventually reversed its decision. Allen was present at the president’s speech. Addressing her directly, Mr. Trump said: “I know what you went through. I know what you went through.”
The president also broadened the discussion beyond prayer, linking the vitality of the nation’s faith to its overall strength and prosperity. “When faith gets weaker, our country seems to get weaker,” he remarked. “When faith gets stronger, as it is right now, we’re having a very good period of time after some rough years, good things happen for our country. It’s amazing the way it seems to work that way.”
He further asserted that the American people “have to bring back religion in America, bring it back stronger than ever before.” These remarks reflected his consistent appeal to religious conservatives, a base that has strongly supported his administration’s policies on issues ranging from school choice to restrictions on transgender participation in school sports. During his address, Mr. Trump again promoted his plan to expand access to tax credits for school choice scholarships, framing them as tools to empower parents seeking faith-friendly educational environments for their children.
The symbolism of the venue reinforced the message. Standing in the Museum of the Bible, the president also announced that he had donated his personal Trump family Bible to the museum’s collection. The Bible, a gift from his mother, was used during both of his presidential inaugurations. Its placement on display, Mr. Trump said, reflected the central role faith has played in his life and in the story of the nation.
The forthcoming Education Department guidelines are expected to address concerns raised by both advocates of religious liberty and civil rights groups. While religious conservatives view the measure as a long-overdue safeguard against the suppression of faith in schools, critics have historically warned that broadening school prayer protections could blur constitutional boundaries separating church and state. The administration, however, has signaled that it intends to prioritize the rights of religious students to express their beliefs openly.
By framing the new policy within a broader narrative of national renewal through faith, Mr. Trump tied his administration’s legal and political agenda to a deeper cultural and spiritual argument. For his supporters, the move reflects a commitment to defending religious freedom at a time when they believe it is under threat. For his opponents, it raises questions about how public institutions balance constitutional freedoms with inclusivity and neutrality in diverse classrooms.
