MAGA Faces Backlash as Trump Judge Upholds First Amendment Rights

WHO:

Alternet - Justice Neil Gorsuch, appointed to the Supreme Court by Trump in 2017.

Alternet - Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019.

WHAT:

Alternet - Gorsuch stated that the First Amendment exists and that the nation’s founders were not motivated by Christian nationalism.

Alternet - Gorsuch emphasized that America was founded for religious pluralism and the opportunity to practice faith in one's own way.

Alternet - Gorsuch quoted, “We have a First Amendment for crying out loud. No established religion, everybody has a freedom of religion, everybody has the freedom of speech, we are all equal under law.”

Alternet - MAGA supporters expressed outrage at Gorsuch's statements, labeling him a "sellout" and expressing disbelief at his historical interpretation.

WHERE:

Alternet - Gorsuch made his statements during an interview with PBS.

WHY:

Alternet - Gorsuch's comments contradicted the beliefs of some MAGA supporters who assert that America was founded as a Christian nation.

HOW:

Alternet - Gorsuch referenced historical figures like Charles Carroll, a Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, to support his argument about religious pluralism in America.

(UPDATED July 28, 2026 16:35 UTC)

Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by Trump in 2017, recently made headlines during an interview with PBS by asserting that the First Amendment exists and that the nation's founders were not motivated by Christian nationalism. He emphasized that America was founded on principles of religious pluralism, quoting, “We have a First Amendment for crying out loud. No established religion, everybody has a freedom of religion, everybody has the freedom of speech, we are all equal under law.” Gorsuch's comments sparked outrage among some MAGA supporters, who labeled him a "sellout" and expressed disbelief at his interpretation of American history, despite his references to historical figures like Charles Carroll to support his argument.