Former President Trump has thrown his weight behind Louisiana’s controversial new law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms from elementary school through college, proclaiming his adoration for the biblical rules despite a checkered past that seemingly violates every one of them.
“I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT MATTER,” Trump declared on his Truth Social platform this week. “READ IT — HOW CAN WE, AS A NATION, GO WRONG??? THIS MAY BE, IN FACT, THE FIRST MAJOR STEP IN THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION, WHICH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED, IN OUR COUNTRY.”
Trump punctuated his endorsement with a call to “BRING BACK TTC!!!” — a nod to the very commandments he has blatantly violated.
The White House and the Department of Education remained silent on Trump’s remarks and Louisiana’s new law, despite its controversial nature. President Biden, engaged in a heated reelection campaign against Trump, also avoided public comment on the issue.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, aligning with his state’s deeply conservative and religious base, signed House Bill 71 into law last Wednesday, prompting strong opposition from critics who argue it violates constitutional principles.
Among the law’s detractors are the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, who have vowed to challenge what they deem a clear violation of the separation of church and state.
Despite criticism, opponents anticipate a protracted legal battle over the law, asserting that politicians should not impose religious doctrines on students and families in public educational settings.
“Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools,” Louisiana’s ACLU chapter said in the statement joined by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
The Biden administration has yet to provide a formal stance on the Louisiana law, although President Biden, known for his Catholic faith, regularly participates in religious observances with his family.
