Donald Trump’s DOJ shields priests instead of children, and the reason why is even worse

In his latest twist of moral gymnastics, Donald Trump’s Department of Justice is now going to court—not to protect children from abuse—but to protect priests from being forced to report it.

Yes, you read that right. In a case that sounds like satire, but isn’t, Trump’s DOJ has intervened in a lawsuit to block Washington state from enforcing a new law that would require clergy to report suspected child abuse, even when it’s disclosed during confession.

What Washington’s new law does

The law in question, Washington Senate Bill 5375, signed by Governor Bob Ferguson in May 2025, adds clergy to the state’s mandatory reporters list. While most states have mandatory reporting laws for child abuse, the specific treatment of the “seal of confession” varies. Many states have exceptions for clergy-penitent privilege that would allow it to be used as a shield in certain circumstances. Washington’s law is notable for explicitly removing this privilege. 

The law is designed to prevent abusers from using the confessional booth as a get-out-of-jail-free card, especially after decades of damning abuse scandals in the Catholic Church.

DOJ: Priests must be protected from jail (even if kids aren’t)

But instead of backing child protection laws, the Trump DOJ filed a 47-page complaint arguing that SB 5375 “targets clergy,” violates the First Amendment, and amounts to religious discrimination under the Fourteenth Amendment. Their main gripe? That requiring priests to report child abuse heard in confession would effectively force them to choose between jail time and excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Reporting child abuse ≠ religious persecution

To be clear, no one is banning confession or preventing religious practice. The law doesn’t stop anyone from going to church or seeking absolution. It simply says that when a priest learns of child abuse, they must report it, just like teachers, doctors, and therapists do every day. But the Trump DOJ argues that even this common-sense requirement is too much government overreach.

So what’s the real reason behind this bizarre move? Politics. The religious right—an increasingly vital bloc in Trump’s base—has long demanded immunity from state oversight. This lawsuit is a direct appeal to that constituency, cloaked in constitutional language but rooted in culture war politics. It’s not about faith. It’s about shielding institutions, not children.

The chilling effect: a silence confession, a silenced victim

And the consequences? Chilling. By prioritizing institutional secrecy over child safety, the DOJ is effectively discouraging victims or concerned parishioners from coming forward. If a penitent knows their priest is legally gagged, they might think twice before seeking help, or worse, never report at all.

Let’s not pretend this is some brave defense of religious liberty. It’s a cynical, politically charged move to curry favor with a powerful institution, even if it means sidelining kids at risk of abuse. When the Department of Justice is more concerned about protecting the seal of confession than breaking the cycle of abuse, we’ve gone far beyond the moral pale.

Trump has called himself the best thing to happen to Christians. If that includes shielding predators in the name of religious liberty, maybe it’s time we redefine what “Christian values” really mean.