Religious Freedom Day, 2026

Proclamation 11003 of January 16, 2026 Religious Freedom Day, 2026 A Proclamation For 250 years, our Nation and our people have abided by a simple truth: Every person is born with the God-given right to practice their faith, follow their conscience, and worship their God freely and without fear. This Religious Freedom Day, we honor America's distinct place in the halls of history as the only Republic ever founded upon this sacred principle—and we renew our commitment to upholding our proud legacy as one glorious Nation under God. More than 400 years ago, a band of weary settlers set sail on a perilous journey across the Atlantic on the Mayflower in search of religious liberty—setting in motion the most epic struggle for freedom and faith in the history of the world. Over a century later, following a bloody Revolutionary War fought to secure our God-given rights, the Virginia General Assembly moved to dismantle the tyrannical laws of the British Crown and replace them with statutes worthy of a free people. From that effort emerged the legendary Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. In that historic declaration, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that God “created the mind to be free” and that every individual “shall be free to profess their opinion in matters of religion.” These principles, codified into Virginia law on January 16, 1786, later became the foundation of our First Amendment, immortalizing in ink the free exercise of faith. This year, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, my Administration is boldly bringing faith back to the public square because the freedom of religion means the freedom to practice your religion proudly, publicly, and without fear of persecution. As President, I am leading a renewal of faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of Government because the revolution of common sense is incomplete without a resurgence of faith in God. To further …