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President Trump on Down Syndrome Awareness Month: ‘Every Child is a Gift From God’

President Donald J. Trump issued a presidential message this month celebrating the lives of people with Down syndrome and honoring their families.

October is observed as Down Syndrome Awareness Month in the United States.

“Every child is a gift from God, created in His image and likeness, bringing hope, love, and a future filled with promise to our Nation and the world,” Trump affirmed in the message’s first sentence.

“I join millions of Americans in celebrating the lives, accomplishments, and contributions of people with Down syndrome and honor the families and communities who stand beside them each and every day.”

“Americans with Down syndrome enrich every life they touch, meeting the world with a sincerity and joy that make our classrooms brighter and our communities stronger.”

He noted Down syndrome is caused by a single extra chromosome, which is “a small difference that can slow a child’s development and bring challenges to families who love and care for them.”

The president lauded the great work being done by “our Nation’s doctors and researchers” who “have answered these challenges with remarkable scientific discoveries, and in so doing have greatly enhanced the quality of life for children and adults living with Down syndrome.”

The president touted his administration’s actions to protect innocent life and advance research “that delivers new treatments” and allows individuals with Down syndrome “to pursue their dreams and thrive in their communities.”

He also encouraged the families and friends who care for those with Down syndrome as “some of the most extraordinary, caring and generous Americans” who help ensure the over 5,000 babies born with Down syndrome every year “can live their American dream.”

“My Administration will never waver in our devotion to the men, women, and children living with Down syndrome, and I will always fight to ensure that they, like every other American, can be proud to live in a country with a government and a society that upholds the dignity of every precious life and recognizes the beauty and humanity of every person.”

The president concluded, “This month, and every month, we celebrate, love, and cherish the incredible Americans living with Down syndrome.”

It is estimated that between 60 to 90% of preborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted in the United States. It’s a great national tragedy that so many individuals with Down syndrome never get the chance to live a joyful and fulfilling life because of abortion.

Every child – born and preborn – is made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27).

Contrary to what you might hear, Scripture is not silent about abortion.

The Ten Commandments state:

“You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).

The psalmist declares:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

And the prophet Jeremiah proclaims:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5).

For this reason, the Christian church has upheld the dignity and God-given rights of all people, including preborn children, since the very first century.

One of the earliest extra-biblical Christian teachings, known as “The Didache,” states: “You shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born.”

During this Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we give thanks for the life of each person with Down syndrome. We reaffirm their inalienable right to life and celebrate their contributions to our society.

Related articles and resources:

Resources: Special Needs & Disabilities

Parenting A Child with Down Syndrome

Shining a Positive Light on Down Syndrome

Pope Leo’s Pro-Life and Pro-Family Journey to France

The Young Man with Down Syndrome Who Built a Sock Empire

How Chris Burke’s Down Syndrome Saved Other Lives

How in-Utero Diagnosis Is Being Used to Push Abortion

Photo from Getty Images.

Don’t Get Bullied Into Silence

Just over 25 years ago, Tom Minnery, Focus on the Family’s former Vice President of Public Policy, authored an important book whose title amounted to both a wake-up call and a challenge for Christians: “Why You Can’t Stay Silent: A Biblical Mandate to Shape Our Culture.”

“The proper role for the Christian citizen is to participate in government as fully as his calling and skills can take him, whether it be limited to voting or as an active government leader,” wrote Tom.

In short, Tom made the case why Christians have a social and moral responsibility to put their faith into action and bring biblical principles to bear in all areas of life – including in the realm of public policy and politics.

Since the early days of Focus on the Family, the ministry has been working to equip and encourage Christians to get involved at every level – right up to running for office themselves. In fact, we practice what we preach. U.S. Senator Jim Banks (R-IN) is a former Focus staffer who returned home to his Hoosier roots and decided to run for local office. He was eventually elected to the House of Representatives and then the United States Senate.

Throughout his time in public life, Senator Banks has advocated for a Christian’s right to bring their biblical convictions into public life and believes that one’s faith can and should inform a public official’s view on a host of issues including the sanctity of life, the protection of women’s sports, and the biblical definition of marriage. He has long maintained that Christians should not have to abandon their religious convictions to participate in public affairs.

It would appear that Senator Elissa Slotkin, a colleague of Senator Banks, disagrees.

While being interviewed recently at the University of Chicago, Senator Slotkin expressed a desire to investigate individuals who she believes have contributed to President Trump and his administration’s policies and otherwise supported conservative ideals. 

“I want to look at these signature cases and not just focus on the president, but on the people who enabled him,” she said. 

In what is being interpreted as a chilling warning to social conservatives, Senator Slotkin elaborated on her plan:

“I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration? Like, that sounds fun, I might get an opportunity.’ I want them to be like, ‘Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want and so let me avoid participating in that.’ I want that deterrence message.”

Utah’s Senator Mike Lee reacted strongly to his colleague’s comments, noting, “It is absolutely disgraceful to threaten young Americans for participating in politics and serving their country.”

Christians are called to care about politics and policies because both impact the lives of our fellow citizens in very practical ways. The prophet Jeremiah urged, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (29:7). 

When Jesus compared His followers to being “the light of the world” he instructed them to “shine” that light “before others” (Matthew 5:14, 16). In other words, get involved and take action. We should be bold and fearless. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah’s instructions are downright specific: “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (1:17).

Yet, God seems to also understand that we can be easily intimidated by either circumstances or individuals who may seemingly hold great power over us. That’s why we’re regularly reminded in Scripture to bear up in difficulty. All throughout God’s Word we’re told “Do not be afraid,” “Fear not,” “Be not afraid,” and to “Take heart.”

Christians can courageously and confidently serve in difficult places and circumstances knowing “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Tom Minnery was right – Christians must not stay silent. One very practical way to make your voice heard is to vote this November. Estimates suggest that between 30 and 40 million Christians often sit on the sidelines each election cycle – a dereliction of responsibility, both as a U.S. citizen and as a citizen of Heaven. Don’t be part of that troubling statistic. Instead study your ballot, pray, and bring your faith to bear on the decisions at hand.

Trump Admin Accomplishments You Might Have Missed

In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, Southern Seminary president Dr. Al Mohler observed in an interview that Americans were “not just electing a president, you’re electing a government.”

He also opined:

Christian conservatives face big challenges ahead as we try to influence the course of government and the future of our society. There is so much ground that must be gained for the cause of unborn life and the right ordering of society. The election of Kamala Harris as president would almost surely lead to a colossal leftward shift in the laws, in appointments to office, in nominations to the Supreme Court, in LGBTQ activism, and in a flurry of executive orders. I am not sure that such a leftward shift can be undone or corrected in my lifetime, if ever. Both sides recognize how much is on the line in this election, and that’s the simple truth.

Keep in mind that the president will make more than 4,000 direct appointments to high government office, will serve as commander in chief, and will exercise the sole power of nominations to the federal courts, all the way to the Supreme Court. 

Nearly two years out from that statement, Dr. Mohler’s premise is regularly affirmed as we read of various presidential appointments, executive orders, and court decisions. 

Or maybe you haven’t read them. It can be a challenge to find such positive news in the press.

Since President Trump first took office in January 2017, numerous studies have found that the majority of stories involving the president have been negative. In fact, a recent Pew Research survey found that more than 60% of stories published from mainstream media carried a negative assessment compared with 5% that were positive. 

Presidents have historically battled the bent of the media, but even objective observers have noted the current press corps has exhibited an unusual animus towards President Trump – and vice versa.

To help combat the media filter, the White House released on Friday a comprehensive list of “President Trump’s Top 250 Victories For People of Faith.” In introducing the list, administration officials stated, “Since the founding of our nation, nobody has fought harder or gained more for believers …”

Highlights include:

PROTECTED RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

• The Department of Justice issued guidance to all departments and agencies, directing them to protect religious liberty in all programs, policies, and practices.

• President Trump established a new Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias to investigate and dismantle the systematic discrimination against Christians that occurred under the previous Administration.

• The Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias released a report and documentary detailing the Biden Administration’s radical efforts to persecute Christians and highlighting how President Trump is ensuring Christians are free to live out their faith. 

• The Department of Health and Human Services created a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division to defend religious liberty and enforce conscience protections in healthcare.

DEFENDED HOUSES OF WORSHIP 

• The Department of Treasury announced it will issue guidance to protect the religious freedom and free speech of houses of worship in relation to the Johnson Amendment.

• The Department of Justice issued a historic opinion eliminating the “religious restriction” that required houses of worship and faith-based organizations to ban religious aspects of their programs to receive federal funds. 

SECURED CONSCIENCE RIGHTS 

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission agreed to allow Christian employers to conduct their businesses according to their faith, including on issues of pronouns, restrooms, and dress codes.

• The Trump Administration strengthened conscience protections for healthcare providers who object to abortion, sterilization, or assisted suicide.

• The Department of Health and Human Services launched investigations into states for allegedly coercing health care entities to pay for abortion coverage.

• The Department of Health and Human Services rescinded Biden-era guidance that could force pharmacists to stock and dispense abortion pills in pharmacies in violation of the  pharmacists’ religious beliefs or conscience. 

ENDED THE WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT

• President Trump issued an executive order ending the weaponization of the federal government against all Americans, including people of faith. 

• President Trump pardoned Christians and pro-life activists who were unjustly persecuted for praying and peacefully living out their faith.

• The Department of Justice restricted the misuse of the FACE Act against pro-life advocates, dismissing several cases aimed at persecuting pro-life Americans.

PROMOTED FREE SPEECH 

• President Trump issued an executive order combating the debanking of Americans based on their political and religious beliefs, which had been targeted at conservatives and people of faith.

PROTECTED FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS 

• The Office of Management and Budget proposed a new rule protecting religious liberty in grantmaking, clarifying that the federal government may not discriminate against faith-based organizations because of their religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development rescinded guidance which required Christian colleges to violate their religious beliefs by opening co-ed dormitories.

• The Department of Justice filed briefs at the U.S. Supreme Court supporting tax exemptions for religious groups, religious charter schools, and a Catholic preschool’s right to be included in a benefit program available to secular preschools.  

EXPANDED SCHOOL CHOICE & PROMOTED WHOLESOME EDUCATION

• President Trump issued an executive order on school choice, supporting parents’ rights to choose private, religious, or public charter schools for their children.

• President Trump signed the first-ever national school choice program, empowering parents to choose faith-based schools for their children and ending the monopoly of government-run education.

• President Trump issued an executive order ending radical indoctrination in schools.

• President Trump reinstated common sense school discipline policies.

• The Department of Education ended the Biden book ban hoax, ensuring parents can protect their children from books espousing radical secular ideologies such as transgenderism and gender fluidity.

UPHELD PARENTAL RIGHTS

• The Department of Justice issued a memo pledging to uphold parental rights and supported parental rights at the U.S. Supreme Court.

• The Department of Health and Human Services warned states not to remove the children of parents who refuse to capitulate to radical transgender ideology.

• The Department of Education ordered schools to allow parents to inspect and review education records, including those related to their children’s “gender identity.” 

• The Department of Education cracked down on school districts violating federal law by hiding students’ “gender transitions” from parents.

SAVED WOMEN’S SPORTS 

• President Trump issued an executive order keeping men out of women’s sports.

• The Department of Health and Human Services upheld biological truth by announcing that references to “sex” in Title IX will no longer also refer to “gender identity.”

• The Department of Justice and Department of Education announced a Title IX Special Investigations Team to protect students, especially female athletes, from radical gender ideology in school programs and activities. 

PROTECTED CHILDREN FROM HARMFUL PROCEDURES AND IDEOLOGY 

• President Trump banned federal funding for the chemical and surgical mutilation of minors, protecting children from irreversible harm, followed by a final rule implementing his order.

• The Department of Justice supported the right of states to ban sex-rejecting drugs for minors at the U.S. Supreme Court. 

• The Department of Health and Human Services issued a report highlighting the “significant harms” of gender transition drugs and procedures for minors.  

RESTORED BIOLOGICAL TRUTH 

• President Trump issued an executive order restoring biological truth to the federal government and affirming the reality that there are only two sexes, male and female. 

• President Trump called on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act to affirm biological reality, protect women’s sports, and prohibit sex-rejecting surgeries on children.

• President Trump issued a new counterterrorism strategy to protect America from the threats of “radically pro-transgender” ideology. 

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development took action to ensure homeless shelters are not required to house men in facilities intended for women only. 

• The Trump Administration axed billions of dollars in grants that had been used by states to perpetuate radical gender ideology and related propaganda.

STRENGTHENED FAMILIES AND SAFEGUARDED CHILDREN

• President Trump issued an executive order on foster care – a key initiative of First Lady Melania Trump – maximizing partnerships with Americans of faith and seeking to remedy state policies that prohibit qualified people or organizations from serving in foster care due to their religious beliefs.

• The Department of Health and Human Services formally rescinded a Biden-era rule that forced foster parents to choose between their religious beliefs and fostering children.

• The Administration for Children and Families defended religious foster parents by warning multiple states that gender ideology mandates that deny qualified families the ability to provide loving homes to foster children violate the First Amendment.

• As a result of the Trump Administration’s actions to protect religious foster parents, some states have immediately changed their policies to welcome faith-based families in foster care. 

• President Trump signed the Take It Down Act – a key initiative of First Lady Melania Trump – protecting children and families from online extortion and exploitation through the non-consensual distribution of intimate images and deepfake abuse.

DEFENDED LIFE THROUGH YOUR TAX DOLLARS 

• President Trump mandated enforcement of the Hyde Amendment, ending the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion in America. 

• President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, ending the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund nongovernmental organizations that perform or promote coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization internationally.

• The Department of Justice supported states’ rights to defund abortion clinics. 

VALUED LIFE 

• President Trump celebrated Down Syndrome Awareness Month, telling Down Syndrome children they are “amazing.”

• The White House issued a statement of support for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

• The Department of Health and Human Services announced that funds from new Title X grants may not be used to perform abortions and plans to issue new Title X regulations that align with the law and administration priorities. 

• The Department of Health and Human Services restored Title X funding that the Biden Administration had stripped from states due to the states’ pro-life policies. 

• The Trump Administration ended the barbaric use of fetal tissue from aborted babies in federally funded research at the National Institutes of Health.

EMPOWERED & SUPPORTED MOTHERS 

• The Trump Administration provided $4 million to address root causes of infertility and expand access to testing and treatments that will help families have children.

• President Trump ensured the Working Families Tax Cuts Act included pro-family measures such as a Child Tax Credit expansion, strengthened adoption tax credits, permanent tax credits for paid family and medical leave, and Trump Investment Accounts for every American newborn.

And those are just 52 of the 250 things detailed on the list.

At Focus on the Family, we care about policies because policies impact people — husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, children and grandchildren. Bad policies have dire consequences. Good policies have the potential to improve life and allow families to thrive. 

The prophet Jeremiah urged, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you … and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (29:7). 

As Christians who seek the welfare of our neighbors, we care deeply about the policies that shape their lives — and must be willing to speak up when we believe those policies will help families flourish.

President Trump Outpacing First Term in Confirmed Judge Picks

President Donald J. Trump’s picks for federal judgeships are being confirmed at a faster clip in his second term compared to his first.

Article III of the Constitution establishes the judicial branch of the federal government, made up of one U.S. Supreme Court and “such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.”

Congress has created 13 federal courts of appeals along with 94 lower district courts. While the Supreme Court has the final word in deciding cases and controversies, our nation’s other courts – particularly the 13 appeals courts – are vitally important to our nation’s judicial system.

The Supreme Court receives roughly 7,000 requests to hear cases each year; it accepts around 1% of them, leaving the other 99% to be decided by the lower courts.

The Constitution’s appointments clause grants the president the power to appoint federal judges. The Senate provides “advice and consent” on each nominee.

Upon confirmation, judges are granted a lifetime appointment to the federal bench, meaning they can serve far longer than a president’s time in office. This makes the president’s job of selecting and nominating federal judges extremely important.

In his first term, President Trump nominated three Supreme Court justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. He also nominated 54 judges to serve on our nation’s federal appellate courts and 174 federal district judges.

In his second term, the U.S. Senate has confirmed 10 of the president’s nominees for the 13 federal appellate courts. Two more are awaiting confirmation.

Most recently, on July 23, the Senate confirmed Judge Daniel Traynor, previously a federal district judge, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, one of the nation’s most conservative federal appellate courts.

In announcing his appointment of Traynor to the court in May, President Trump said he “has issued courageous decisions, and blocked illegal Federal Government actions under the previous Administration.”

President Trump also recently gained a chance to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit after Judge Kurt Engelhardt, who has served on the court since 2018, announced his intention to take senior status, a form of semi-retirement, upon the confirmation of his successor. The president has nominated Anna St. John for the seat.

The Senate has also confirmed 42 of President Trump’s district court nominees since January 20, 2025.

Overall, Senate Republicans have confirmed the president’s judicial picks at a faster clip than Trump’s first term.

“As chairman, I’ve ensured efficient consideration of nominations and under my leadership this Congress we’re processing judicial nominations at a historic pace,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

“In fact, if you look at the time between nomination and confirmation, we’ve advanced and confirmed Article III judges faster than at any time since Ronald Reagan’s presidency.”

Photo Credit: Brookings Institution

According to the left-leaning Brookings Institution, “Nearly 1 in 3 full-time lower-court federal judges are Trump appointees, due largely to his near-record number of first term confirmations.”

However, given a much lower level of judicial vacancies, Brookings expects the confirmation of new judges to slow. The district and appellate courts now have only 30 vacancies compared to 92 vacancies in July 2018.

Federal judges confirmed today could serve for 30 or 40 years. Each judge’s judicial philosophy matters greatly to how they might rule on issues of life, religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, the protection of girls sports and more.

As we’ve written previously, “Focus on the Family believes that the judicial system plays a vital role in our government, our families and society in general. … The federal judicial system set up by the Founders held up the ideal of limited judicial authority: Judges should stick to offering ‘judgment’ and exercising ‘neither force nor will.’”

Our nation needs more judges today who understand their job is to say what the law is, not what they would like it to be.

As former Justice Antonin Scalia said, “A judge must be, above all else, a servant of the law – and not an enforcer of his personal predilections – about the issues that come before him. The good judge must suppress his personal views and must decide each case as the law dictates, not as he would have resolved the matter if he had drafted the law or the constitutional provision at issue.”

In our constitutional system, the people – not unelected, unaccountable federal judges – get to determine what the law is through their lawfully elected representatives. That’s what it means to have a nation that is of, by and for the people.

Related articles and resources:

US Supreme Court Ends Judicial Tyranny: No More ‘Universal Injunctions’

Judicial Tyranny: Solutions to the Problem of Rogue Federal Judges

Trump Victory Likely Cements Conservative Supreme Court for Decades to Come

Why Elections Matter – The Judicial Impact

Judicial Philosophy

Photo from Getty Images.

DOJ Releases Guidance Strengthening Religious Liberty Protections

The U.S. Department of Justice released updated guidance strengthening federal protections for religious liberty.

The DOJ’s updated memorandum, released on July 23, revises and expands the department’s 2017 Religious Liberty Guidelines in light of significant developments over the last nine years.

“Religious liberty is one of our Nation’s founding principles and a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a press release.

“It is essential that federal agencies fully respect and protect the ability of all Americans to live out their faith in daily life, including in their interactions with the federal government.”

The DOJ’s updates in the guidance include:

  • Integration of recent Supreme Court precedent. Recent court decisions clarify the scope of the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA’s) broad protection of religious liberty, and the requirement of equal treatment towards religious organizations in government programs.
  • Protection of parental rights. The Supreme Court’s recent precedents confirm the Constitution protects parents’ right to direct the upbringing of their children.
  • Reaffirmation of church autonomy. Constitutional protections bar government interference in internal religious governance, including employment.
  • Expanded direction for federal agencies. Agencies must consider religious-liberty impacts when developing rules and policies.
  • Clarified protections in federal employment. Agencies must follow recent Office of Legal Counsel opinions when accommodating religious expression and practice in the workplace.
  • Safeguards for religious organizations in federal contracting and grant programs. Agencies may not condition an individual’s participation in federal programs on relinquishing their religious character or hiring rights. Religious organizations must be permitted to compete on equal footing with secular organizations.

“The new religious liberty guidance instructs agencies on how to protect one of our most fundamental constitutional guarantees: religious liberty,” said Assistant Attorney General Dan Burrows for the DOJ’s Office of Legal Policy.

“It helps ensure that federal actions do not discriminate on the basis of religion and furthers the protection of both individual practitioners and religious organizations.”

This isn’t the first action the Trump administration has taken to protect religious liberty. On May 1, 2025, President Donald Trump established the Religious Liberty Commission which was tasked with “safeguarding and promoting America’s founding principle of religious freedom.”

Members of the commission included Reverend Franklin Graham, Dr. Ben Carson, New York Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Robert Barron, Kristen Waggoner, Kelly Shackelford, Ryan Anderson, Alveda King and others.

Days before our nation’s 250th anniversary, the commission released its final 224-page report including specific policy recommendations to safeguard our nation’s first freedom.

It was one of our nation’s foremost founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, who said, “Remember civil and religious liberty always go together, if the foundation of the one be sapped, the other will fall of course.”

The Trump administration deserves great credit for prioritizing religious freedom and taking concrete steps to secure one of our most important liberties.

Related articles and resources:

The Truth About Religious Freedom and Free Speech

Faith, Freedom, and the Future of America

Optimism, Faith and Freedom in America

Religious Freedom is Not a Problem to Be Managed

Photo from Getty Images.