Trump Religious Liberty Commission boots member after contentious antisemitism hearing
President Donald Trump's White House Religious Liberty Commission ousted Catholic activist Carrie Prejean Boller from its membership on Wednesday, after her controversial performance at a hearing on antisemitism this week.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who chairs the commission, announced Boller's removal on Wednesday, arguing she had attempted to "hijack" Tuesday's public hearing for a "political agenda." Boller was combative during the hearing and defended commentator Candace Owens, who has been accused of antisemitism over a number of controversial remarks, among others.
"Carrie Prejean Boller has been removed from President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission," Patrick wrote in a statement on X. "No member of the Commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue. This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America. This was my decision."
Prior to her forced removal, Boller issued a series of statements refusing to resign her position on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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"I will never bend the knee to the state of Israel. Ever," Boller, a former Miss California, posted on X. "Christians have been manipulated into believing that God blesses bombing, starvation, and mass killing. That is the opposite of Christ, who came to stand with the suffering and confront power. I reject that lie completely."
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Boller got into a heated exchange with Shabbos Kestenbaum, a former Harvard student who sued the university over its response to antisemitism, who testified at the hearing. After Kestenbaum spoke about antisemitism, Boller steered the hearing towards Israel, asking Kestenbaum if he would "condemn what Israel has done in Gaza." While Kestenbaum was ready to respond, Chairman Patrick brought that line of questioning to a halt and said, "This can be another discussion on another day."
Owens came to Boller's defense after Patrick announced her dismissal on Wednesday, claiming the White House commission was pushing a "performative Zionist" message "meant to neuter the Christian faith."
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"Carrie didn’t hijack anything," Owens wrote. "Carrie spoke truth, as a Catholic, and Christians, the Truth cannot be defeated. Zionists are naturally hostile to Catholics because we refuse to bend the knee to revisionist history and support the mass slaughter and rape of innocent children for occult Baal worshipers."
"Your decision will only further the Christian enlightenment which is taking place in this country. And for that, we thank you," Owens wrote to Patrick.