Several federal agencies under the Trump administration took an unusually direct approach to marking Easter Sunday, posting messages about Christ’s resurrection on their official social media platforms.
Both the Department of Homeland Security and State Department proclaimed “He is risen” in their Easter posts.
The Defense Department amplified a message from Secretary Pete Hegseth on X, which stated: “The tomb is empty. The promise is fulfilled. Through His sacrifice, we are redeemed. We stand firm in faith, courage, and truth.”
The Justice Department also participated, writing on X: “Today, as millions of Christians gather in their churches across the nation to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, this Department —- is proud to protect and defend religious liberty.”
The messages generated thousands of responses from social media users. While some praised the agencies for openly expressing Christian beliefs, others criticized the government for appearing to endorse a specific religion’s teachings.
Secretary Hegseth regularly references his evangelical beliefs in his role leading the military, framing America as a Christian nation using armed force against its adversaries.
Just last week, Hegseth conducted his first monthly Christian service at the Pentagon since the Iran conflict started.
During the livestreamed ceremony, Hegseth offered this prayer: “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”
President Trump’s Good Friday statement made only subtle references to the Iran situation.
“From the Christian patriots who won and secured our liberty on the battlefield and every generation since, the love of Christ has unfailingly guided our Nation through calm waters and dark storms,” Trump stated.
However, his Easter Sunday message took a more aggressive tone. In a post containing profanity on Truth Social, he gave Iran an ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, warning “or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national advocacy organization, condemned Trump’s “deranged mocking of Islam.”
Religious expressions are commonplace in American politics across party lines and faith traditions. Pentagon officials and supporters of Hegseth point to historical precedents, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s backing of Bible distribution to military personnel.
However, the longstanding practice among presidents and their administrations has been to respect the constitutional principle separating church and state, avoiding clear favoritism toward any particular faith.
Previous presidents have varied in their Easter messaging approaches. Republican President George W. Bush specifically acknowledged Christ’s resurrection in his 2003 Easter statement. Both Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Barack Obama occasionally issued combined Easter and Passover recognitions.
