Former President Donald Trump has voiced strong support for displaying the Ten Commandments in public and private schools across the United States, advocating for what he describes as a necessary “religious revival.”
Trump made these remarks on Friday via his social media platform, Truth Social, following Louisiana’s recent mandate to prominently display the biblical text in educational institutions.
“I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT MATTER. READ IT — HOW CAN WE, AS A NATION, GO WRONG???” Trump exclaimed in a passionate post typed entirely in capital letters. He continued, “THIS MAY BE, IN FACT, THE FIRST MAJOR STEP IN THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION, WHICH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED IN OUR COUNTRY. BRING BACK TTC!!! MAGA2024.”
Louisiana became the first state to enforce this requirement after Republican Governor Jeff Landry signed House Bill 71 into law on Wednesday. This legislation mandates that every public school classroom, from kindergarten to state-funded universities, display a poster-sized version of the Ten Commandments in a “large, easily readable font.” Governor Landry promoted the bill over the weekend at a fundraiser in Tennessee.
According to the new law, these displays must include a four-paragraph “context statement” emphasizing that the Ten Commandments were integral to American public education for nearly three centuries. Implementation in classrooms across the state is expected by the beginning of 2025.
The Ten Commandments, believed to have been revealed by God to the Jewish prophet Moses, outline fundamental ethical laws. They include directives such as acknowledging God as the supreme deity, prohibitions against killing, stealing, committing adultery, and coveting others’ goods, as well as commands to honour the Sabbath and respect one’s parents.
Critics argue that such mandates violate the First Amendment by imposing religious texts in public institutions. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already announced plans to legally challenge the mandate, citing a precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1980, when a similar requirement for displaying the Ten Commandments outside courthouses was struck down on First Amendment grounds in Kentucky.
Meanwhile, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has pledged to pursue a similar mandate in his state, and Oklahoma lawmakers are contemplating comparable legislation.
Trump’s recent statements advocating for a “religious revival” mark some of his most emphatic pro-religious remarks to date. While Trump has aligned his policy agenda closely with the concerns of Evangelical Christians, he has not publicly detailed his personal religious beliefs.
