Conservative Activist Booted From Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission

A conservative activist was removed Wednesday from President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who serves as the commission’s chair, announced on X.

The move came after a contentious commission meeting that Carrie Prejean Boller, a former Miss California and Catholic activist, was accused of hijacking to push pro-Palestine views and raise questions about the group’s definition of antisemitism.

“No member of the Commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue,” Patrick wrote. “This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America.”

The incident is just the latest example of how U.S. support for Israel has emerged as a fault line for conservatives, especially among young people.

Boller was removed from her role for confronting witnesses at the meeting, including a heated exchange when she asked the question: “Do you believe that speaking out about what many Americans view as genocide in Gaza should be treated as antisemitic?”

“By not being a Zionist, does that make you an antisemite?” Boller continued.

“I don’t think you need to be a Zionist to support a country that defends itself and is free and religious,” Yitzchok Frankel, the attendee, answered.

Boller continued to press the panel, saying at one point that “Catholics do not embrace Zionism.”

Patrick interjected and reminded Boller that the committee was about “religious liberty taken from all people,” continuing, “This is not the commission for that.”

In his post announcing Boller’s removal, Patrick wrote that it was his decision to fire her from the panel.

The situation caused an uproar in right-wing circles online Wednesday after the podcast host and influencer Candace Owens, who has been accused of antisemitism, denounced Boller’s removal.

“Carrie didn’t hijack anything. You hosted a performative Zionist hearing meant to neuter the Christian faith,” Owens replied to Patrick on X.

But the removal also gathered support from far-right activists.

“This is a Trump admin committee. Carrie has no right to be on the committee. Being on the committee is a privilege which she has sullied by her own actions and unAmerican behavior,” Laura Loomer responded.

The Religious Liberty Commission was first established by Trump through an executive order last year under the Department of Justice. Its purpose is “to advise the White House Faith Office,” according to the commission’s website.

Boller posted a picture Tuesday with Palestinian activists, Sameerah Munshi and Miko Peled, saying, “ This is every Zionist supremacists worst nightmare. Muslims, Christians and Jews all united under the banner of religious freedom.”