Trump Reverses Biden-Era Crackdown on Christian Universities

The Trump administration canceled a $37 million fine against Grand Canyon University (GCU), one of the nation’s largest Christian universities. President Trump first heard about the case in April during the inaugural meeting of his anti-Christian bias task force, where officials discussed what they described as a broader pattern of investigations, fines, and clashes involving conservative Christians under the Biden administration.

On February 6, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order establishing the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. The order declared it U.S. policy to protect religious liberty and end what it described as the anti-Christian weaponization of government. It argued that the prior administration targeted peaceful Christians, particularly pro-life activists, while failing to adequately respond to violence and vandalism against churches.

The order referenced federal prosecutions of pro-life demonstrators, including elderly individuals and a Catholic priest, and noted that President Trump issued pardons in those cases in January 2025. It also criticized actions by the FBI, Department of Education, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Department of Health and Human Services, alleging policies that undermined Christian beliefs on gender identity and religious expression.

The task force, housed within the Department of Justice and chaired by the Attorney General, includes senior Cabinet officials and agency leaders. At its first meeting, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Faith Office leaders Paula White-Cain and Jennifer Korn, and several Cabinet members reviewed cases of alleged discrimination across federal agencies. A month earlier, the administration had directed State Department and Veterans Affairs employees to report instances of anti-Christian bias.

Under the Biden administration, the Department of Education fined Grand Canyon University, alleging it misled thousands of doctoral students about program costs, particularly regarding required “continuation” courses that increased tuition beyond advertised amounts. GCU denied wrongdoing, stating it provided clear disclosures and was unfairly targeted. The university appealed and challenged multiple federal actions.

In May 2025, the Department of Education rescinded the fine in full and dismissed the case with prejudice, stating it had established no violation of law. GCU welcomed the decision, calling the accusations “without merit.” Around the same time, the Federal Trade Commission dismissed its remaining lawsuit against a GCU affiliate and one executive, ending Biden-era enforcement actions tied to the university’s nonprofit status and graduate program marketing. GCU characterized the investigations as “coordinated lawfare.” The university reports enrollment of 123,000 students, including 25,000 on campus, though Liberty University claims a higher total enrollment. GCU also regained reaffirmation of its nonprofit status, preserving access to federal financial aid programs.

Irrespective of the exact details of the Grand Canyon case, critics argue there is broader evidence that the Biden administration was hostile to Christian education.

In 2021, College of the Ozarks, a small Christian university, sued the Biden administration over a Department of Housing and Urban Development directive protecting LGBTQ individuals in federally funded housing. Because colleges receive federal funds, they are subject to fair housing laws. Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, the school challenged the policy’s application to campus housing and sought to prevent being required to house transgender students according to gender identity.

Two reports from the American Principles Project further alleged that the Biden-Harris Department of Education disproportionately targeted Christian and vocational institutions through its Office of Enforcement. According to the reports, nearly 70 percent of enforcement penalties were directed at Christian institutions and career colleges, even though they enroll less than 10 percent of students nationwide. The reports described this as an “unprecedented assault” and cited increased funding for the Office of Enforcement.

They highlighted record fines against Grand Canyon University and Liberty University totaling $51.7 million. Liberty’s $14 million Clery Act penalty was contrasted with smaller fines imposed on Michigan State University and Penn State in high-profile sexual abuse cases.

By mid-2025, the Justice Department’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias released a report concluding there had been a “consistent and systematic pattern of discrimination against Christians” under the previous administration. Dated June 6 and released in September, the report cited university fines, arrests of anti-abortion protesters under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and Johnson Amendment investigations as evidence of bias.

The report also referenced the FBI’s “Richmond Memo,” which suggested monitoring “radical-traditionalist” Catholics, alleged “debanking” of Christian groups, and heightened scrutiny of churches by the IRS, Treasury Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs. It outlined actions taken by the Trump administration in response, including pardons, intervention in zoning disputes involving churches, limits on Johnson Amendment enforcement, and planned guidance on prayer in schools.

The report concluded by reaffirming a commitment to protect religious liberty and prevent future discrimination against Christians.

The current administration, including Vice President JD Vance, Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is perhaps the most openly Christian administration since the Founding Fathers.

This overt public expression of faith has been made possible by President Trump, who announced at the National Prayer Breakfast that he plans to rededicate America as “one nation under God” during the nation’s 250th anniversary year. He said a sacred prayer ceremony will be held on the National Mall on May 17, inviting Americans from across the country to gather in prayer and thanksgiving.

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