Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R) has been appointed chair of President Donald Trump’s (R) newly formed Presidential Religious Liberty Commission. The appointment was unveiled during the National Day of Prayer ceremony at the White House.
The newly formed commission aims to address threats to religious freedom and promote awareness of religious pluralism across the United States.
“You are restoring the hopes and the prayers of millions upon millions of believers of all faiths,” Lt. Governor Patrick said, praising President Trump during the announcement. The lt. governor, who has been a longtime advocate of embedding religion in public life, proposed the commission to the president directly.
In his remarks, Lt. Governor Patrick emphasized that the country was “birthed by prayer” and rooted in “Judeo-Christian ethics,” asserting that Americans have the right to worship without government interference.
“We have a magnificent inheritance of religious liberty, and every believer today, no matter your faith, has a claim to that inheritance,” he said.
The commission will include prominent figures like Dr. Ben Carson as vice-chair, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw, and religious liberty attorney Kelly Shackelford. Members will serve through at least July 4, 2026.
This initiative is part of the president’s broader push to “bring back religion” in America.
At the same event, President Trump highlighted his pardons of anti-abortion activists, his executive order combating antisemitism, and the reinstatement of military members discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines. He also announced a Justice Department task force to eliminate what he called “anti-Christian bias.”
Lt. Governor Patrick is currently running for reelection, and he recently announced the endorsement of all 20 Republican members of the Texas Senate.
