(The Hill) – President Donald Trump has chosen Dr. Phil McGraw to join the Religious Liberty Commission.
McGraw joined Trump on Thursday for a celebration in the White House’s Rose Garden in honor of the commission’s creation and the National Day of Prayer.
McGraw briefly spoke during the ceremony after being introduced by Trump. He’s been a supporter of Trump’s campaign and an advocate for his administration’s immigration policies.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am to see religion coming back to the White House. God bless you for doing this,” McGraw said.
McGraw, a longtime TV show host and author, was among several people chosen to help lead the commission. In a newly published book, he has encouraged Americans to “reclaim the principles of hard work, independence, faith, and ingenuity,” the White House said in a statement.
In an executive order, Trump created the Religious Liberty Commission to “vigorously enforce the historic and robust protections for religious liberty enshrined in Federal law.”
Trump said in the order that federal, state and local policies have threatened the country’s tradition of religious liberty in recent years.
The commission will “promote citizens’ pride in our foundational history, identify emerging threats to religious liberty, uphold Federal laws that protect all citizens’ full participation in a pluralistic democracy, and protect the free exercise of religion.”
Besides McGraw, the commission includes members chosen by Trump who will serve as “educated representatives of various sectors of society.” Other members include Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, and New York Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
