What about Separation of Church and State?

Yesterday, Christians around the world celebrated Christmas, while Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and others respectfully enjoyed a holiday that is not our own. Christmas is a joyful time of year for many, even those who do not celebrate it, but for the nearly 40% non-Christians in America, its religious character shouldn’t be imposed on us by the White House.

Yesterday, multiple Trump Cabinet officials and agencies posted overtly religious messages celebrating Christmas from U.S. government social media accounts. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed, “We are blessed to share a nation and a Savior.” Similarly, Secretary Hegseth asserted, “Today, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” The inherent problem with these messages is that they use a collective “we” to describe religious views and beliefs, as if these are views and beliefs that all Americans share.

Similarly, the Department of Labor posted a message of “Let Earth Receive Her King,” while Secretary Rubio publicly asserted that “The joyous message of Christmas is the hope of Eternal Life through Christ.” Rubio’s religious message was followed by wishes for “a blessed holiday season filled with hope and peace,” which was somewhat ironic because, hours later, the administration launched military strikes in northwest Nigeria, ostensibly to defend Christians against Islamists.

As the New York Times explains about the Trump administration’s Christmas messages, “Government officials have traditionally steered clear of such overtly religious language, as the Constitution bans an official state religion. The First Amendment’s establishment clause prohibits the government from establishing a religion or favoring one religion over another, while the free exercise clause protects the religious expression of all faiths.”

It’s clear the Trump White House is willing to disregard the Constitution in many respects, and the separation of religion and state is just one of many recent examples. According to Vice President Vance, who declared America is “a Christian nation” this past weekend at the Turning Point USA convention – and held a Christmas-themed Hanukkah party at his residence last week – the “famously American idea of religious liberty is a Christian concept.”

America’s diversity, religious freedom, and secular government are our strengths, and U.S. law prohibits religion from being imposed on any American. As Jews, it’s easy to see the threat Trump and Vance’s view of America as a “Christian nation” poses to our fundamental freedoms and future. This is one of many reasons we’re working to advocate for our values, and elect Democrats who share such values in November.

In 2025, we were successful in our advocacy, organizing, and political efforts, as demonstrated in JDCA’s End of Year Report. We hope you’ll support our work and join us as we begin 2026, a critically important election year.

Nothing less than the character of our country, democracy, and fundamental freedoms are at stake, and we must elect Democrats to defend our values.

Shabbat Shalom and happy New Year,

Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America