Today, in an historic and first-time ever event, President Trump put religious freedom on center stage as he addressed a full room of diverse and distinguished world leaders at the United Nations. READ or WATCH the full event here.

Vice President Pence shared a series of very real and tragic examples that emphasize how timely and vital President Trump’s Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom is to combat the rising levels of violence against people of faith at home and around the globe. A staggering eighty-three percent of the world’s population lives in nations where religious freedom is threatened or banned, including right here in America!

An excerpt from President Trump’s remarks:

“The United States is founded on the principle that our rights do not come from government; they come from God.  This immortal truth is proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the First Amendment to our Constitution’s Bill of Rights.  Our Founders understood that no right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society than the right to follow one’s religious convictions…As we speak, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Yazidis, and many other people of faith are being jailed, sanctioned, tortured, and even murdered, often at the hands of their own government, simply for expressing their deeply held religious beliefs.  So hard to believe. Today, with one clear voice, the United States of America calls upon the nations of the world to end religious persecution.”

We commend the Trump Administration for making religious freedom, our First Freedom, a priority for all Americans and people around the globe.