Dan Patrick Boots Carrie Prejean Boller from Trump's Religious Liberty Commission
Carrie Prejean Boller has been fired from Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission after a fiery hearing on antisemitism. From claims that "Catholics don't embrace Zionism" to defending Candace Owens, Chairman Dan Patrick says she "hijacked" the mission for her own personal agenda
In a dramatic purge of President Trump’s high-profile Religious Liberty Commission, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has officially fired former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean Boller. The move follows a chaotic public hearing at the Museum of the Bible, where Boller reportedly "hijacked" the proceedings to launch a controversial attack on Zionism, defend firebrand pundits Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson, and claim that her Catholic faith prohibits support for the State of Israel.
What is the Commission?
President Trump created the White House Religious Liberty Commission in May 2025. It's an advisory panel (up to 14 members) tasked with producing a major report on religious freedom in America. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (a strong conservative and evangelical) chairs it. The commission has been holding public hearings on various religious liberty issues.
The commission held its fifth hearing, this one focused on rising antisemitism in America, at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. During the hearing, commissioner Carrie Prejean Boller (former Miss California USA 2009) repeatedly steered the discussion:
The exchange became heated. Dan Patrick eventually shut it down, saying the hearing was supposed to focus on antisemitism, not Israel policy.
Two days later, Dan Patrick announced on X that he had removed Carrie Prejean Boller from the commission. He stated, “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.”
She had previously refused calls to resign, saying she wouldn’t “bend the knee to Israel” and that forcing affirmation of Zionism violates religious liberty. This is simply not true. In fact, many Catholics (including prominent ones on the commission) support Israel’s right to exist. Other Catholic commissioners and theologians pushed back on her interpretation during/after the hearing.
Many Jewish groups strongly supported the removal. They saw her comments as derailing a serious discussion on antisemitism and injecting anti-Israel activism.
The commission still has two more hearings planned and will deliver its final report to Trump this spring.