President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to protect prayer in public schools.
"I'm pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools," President Trump said in an address at the Museum of the Bible.
The president did not provide additional details about the directive. Scripps News reached out to the Department of Education for more information and received the following statement:
"Free exercise of religion is a founding principle and a constitutionally protected right afforded to all citizens of our great nation," a spokesperson said. "The Department of Education looks forward to supporting President Trump's vision to promote religious liberty in our schools across the country."
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Prayer in public schools has long been a contentious issue, with numerous cases reaching the Supreme Court. In most instances, school-sponsored prayer has not been protected, while private or voluntary prayer has been upheld.
During Monday’s speech, Trump highlighted his administration's defense of "faith-based values," saying religion was key to building a strong nation.
“When faith gets weaker, our country seems to get weaker. When faith gets stronger … good things happen for our country," President Trump said. "It’s amazing the way it seems to work that way. Under the Trump Administration, we’re defending our rights and restoring our identity as a nation under God. We are One Nation Under God — and we always will be.”
