President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to "protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the anti-Christian weaponization of government."
President Trump announced the policy at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.
“While I’m in the White House, we will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, hospitals and in our public squares,” President Trump said. “And we will bring our country back together as one nation under God.”
The order appoints Attorney General Pam Bondi to the head of a task force that is charged with rooting out "anti-Christian bias" in the federal government.
"The law protects the freedom of Americans and groups of Americans to practice their faith in peace, and my Administration will enforce the law and protect these freedoms," the order reads. "My Administration will ensure that any unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians are identified, terminated, and rectified."
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President Trump also on Thursday signed an order to place U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court over arrest warrants it issued in 2024 for Israeli leadership, including for Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu and for former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The order freezes the assets of named ICC officials and prohibits them from entering the United States.
The ICC alleges Israeli leadership committed war crimes and crimes against humanity while Israel prosecuted its war against Hamas in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. The ICC had also issued warrants to arrest Hamas leadership before those members were killed.
The warrants drew criticism from Washington and from Israel, neither of whom are members of the court. The new executive order says the ICC's decision sets a "dangerous precedent."
"This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States Government and our allies, including Israel," the order reads.
