Former President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind displaying the Ten Commandments in all United States schools, following a controversial new law in Louisiana mandating such postings in classrooms.
Speaking to over 1,000 predominantly evangelical Christians at a Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in Washington DC, Trump expressed his enthusiasm for the biblical text. "Has anyone read the 'Thou shalt not steal'?" the presumptive GOP presidential nominee asked the audience, according to the New York Post. "I mean, has anybody read this incredible stuff? It's just incredible. They don't want it to go up. It's a crazy world."
The former president's comments come on the heels of a new law in Louisiana, which took effect Thursday, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom, including colleges. This mandate has already faced opposition, with the American Civil Liberties Union threatening legal action, arguing that it violates the separation of church and state.
Trump later took to social media to further express his support. The New York Post reports he wrote in all capital letters, "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?" He added, "This may be, in fact, the first major step in the revival of religion, which is desperately needed, in our country."
During the event, Trump also voiced concerns about what he perceives as threats to Christianity in the United States. He suggested that these threats were partly due to immigration policies implemented by Democrats. "The reason the radical left will always come after religious believers is simple," Trump stated. "Because they know that our allegiance is not to them, our allegiance is not to them, our allegiance is to our country and our allegiance is to our creator."
Trump's endorsement of religious symbols in schools appears to be part of a broader strategy to mobilize religious conservative voters for the upcoming November elections. As the debate over the role of religion in public education continues, this issue is likely to remain a focal point in the political discourse leading up to the presidential race.
