Time for Trump administration to dissolve USCIRF

The annual ritual of monitoring religious freedom issue in several countries and releasing a report, only contributes towards deepening mistrust between the US and several other countries, some of them strategic partners of the US.

- CHINTAMANI MAHAPATRA

The 2025 annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released in March 2025 provides enough reason for the Trump Administration to dissolve this Commission.

This annual ritual of monitoring religious freedom issue in several countries and releasing a report that only contributes towards deepening mistrust between the US and several other countries, some of them strategic partners of the US, should be put to an end by President Donald J. Trump. It will be in keeping with Trump 2.0 administration's stated policy of cleaning up the deep state and doing away with unnecessary departments, agencies or organisations.

The Trump White House has taken a strong stand against illegal immigrants and has taken the bold step to downsize the USAID and its activities around the world with a view to cutting expenditure and erasing some "corrupt" practices.

Contrary to the US administration's resolute step to wind up several US operations abroad and save the taxpayers' hard-earned money, the USCIRF report of March 2025 has recommended the administration to develop "a working group in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau of Democracy, Rights, and Governance to deploy the BRIDGES religious community engagement strategy begun and then developed in the last two administrations".

President Trump appears single-minded to refrain from playing the role of a global policeman. He is trying to play the role of a peacemaker and not war-monger. His proactive involvement in ending the Ukraine War, turn US ties with Russia into a cooperative friendship and his efforts, both overt and behind the scene, to bring back stability in West Asia are being carefully watched around the world.