Dr. Phil McGraw says one of the most striking aspects of serving on President Donald Trump’s White House Religious Liberty Commission has been hearing from Americans who believe they have faced consequences at work for practicing their faith.
The commission, established by the Trump administration to examine religious liberty issues, released a draft report last month outlining what members describe as growing challenges to the free exercise of religion while offering a series of policy recommendations for the administration.
Speaking during remarks at the White House, Dr. Phil said the testimony presented to the commission went far beyond questions of where people choose to worship.
“What stuck out for me is how many Americans showed up saying that they were persecuted in health care, military, education—different walks of life—for living their faith and standing up for their faith,” Dr. Phil said, according to NewsNation.
“It’s not just the liberty to choose which house of worship they want, it’s actually getting into their daily life, and they’re being persecuted in their jobs.”
The television personality, who has spoken more openly about his Christian faith in recent years, suggested the commission’s work highlighted concerns shared by people from a wide range of professions.
We have been given a great inheritance: religious liberty. Every American deserves to have that freedom protected.
Tomorrow, we celebrate not only our nation’s founding, but the freedoms that define us. Religious liberty has been a cornerstone of our constitutional tradition… pic.twitter.com/FlBD94quB6
— Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) July 3, 2026
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who chairs the commission, focused his remarks on one of the country’s longest-running constitutional debates: the meaning of “separation of church and state.”
Patrick argued that the phrase is frequently invoked in ways that extend beyond what the Constitution actually says.
“Again, the separation of church and state is not in the Constitution,” Patrick said.
“And from this day forward, that phrase should have no power over people of all faiths ever again in America.”
While the exact phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear in the Constitution, it is commonly associated with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and originates from an 1802 letter written by Thomas Jefferson. The concept has also been interpreted and applied through decades of Supreme Court decisions addressing the relationship between government and religion.
The commission’s draft report recommends that the Department of Justice issue updated guidance explaining its interpretation of the Establishment Clause and how public officials should understand the constitutional boundaries surrounding religious expression.
.@realDonaldTrump‘s Religious Liberty Commission, chaired by @DanPatrick, shared their findings last week after seven hearings with public testimony for how the administration can protect religious liberty and address violations of it. https://t.co/KGd1PRHs4O
— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) July 3, 2026
Among its other recommendations is a proposal requiring government supervisors who determine that an employee’s religious expression violated the law or the Constitution to provide a written explanation supporting that conclusion.
Commission members also suggested expanding educational efforts by distributing “Know Your Rights” materials on religious liberty in workplaces, supporting the confirmation of judges who will hear religious liberty cases, and establishing new presidential awards recognizing individuals who have defended religious freedom.
One proposal calls for creating a “Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty and First Freedom Hero Awards” to honor Americans who, in the commission’s view, have played significant roles in protecting constitutional rights related to the free exercise of religion.
The recommendations remain advisory, and it will ultimately be up to the Trump administration to determine which, if any, become official policy.
