U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance warned that U.S. international religious liberty efforts are "corrupted" and pledged that the Trump administration will not use taxpayer dollars to promote atheism abroad.
Speaking at the Wednesday International Religious Freedom 2025 Summit in Washington, D.C., Vance addressed thousands of attendees from over 40 countries, highlighting the administration’s commitment to protecting religious liberty both domestically and globally.
“Too often has our nation's international engagement on religious liberty issues been corrupted and distorted to the point of absurdity,” Vance stated. He questioned, “How did America get to the point where we're sending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars abroad to NGOs that are dedicated to spreading atheism all over the globe? That is not what leadership on protecting the rights of the faithful looks like.”
This remark referred to recent controversies surrounding the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and some of its programs. The administration has recently closed the agency's office and put "all USAID direct hire personnel" on administrative leave.
Earlier this month, the White House released reports highlighting how USAID has utilized taxpayer money in previous administrations.
Federal records revealed that Asociacion Lambda received a $2 million grant from USAID for organizations that provide "gender-affirming care,” including body-mutilating surgeries and LGBT activism. Other notable expenditures cited include $70,000 for a "DEI musical" in Ireland, $47,000 for a "transgender opera" in Colombia, and $2 million for "sex changes and 'LGBT activism' in Guatemala."
In 2022, the U.S. State Department faced scrutiny from a Republican Congress member for granting over $20,000 to fund a dozen drag shows in Ecuador.
On foreign policy, Vance argued that the U.S. should distinguish between regimes that protect religious freedom and those that do not. He cited the persecution of Christians in Iraq, where converts face violence or death, emphasizing that the U.S. must have the "moral clarity" to respond to such situations.
Vance pledged that the current administration would restore and expand policies from Trump's first presidency that aimed to protect religious freedom. He described Trump’s initial term as a "high water mark for religious Americans," noting that Trump took decisive actions to defend religious liberty, combat antisemitism, and preserve the rights of hospital workers and faith-based ministries.
He emphasized the importance of creating an environment where faith can thrive, acknowledging the benefits it brings to society.
“The church was a place, and still is, where people of different races, different backgrounds, different walks of life came together in commitment to their shared communities and, of course, in commitment to their God.” Vance described the church as a place where both the CEO of a company and its workers stand as equals before God, adding, “I'm pleased to say that they certainly were in the first Trump administration, and they will be even more so in the second.”
