The White House is pushing back against leading Republicans’ misleading criticism of President Joe Biden for issuing a proclamation in support of transgender people on the same day as Easter.
A presidential spokesperson rejected attacks from the House speaker, former President Donald Trump and others that Biden’s ‘blasphemous’ message for Transgender Day of Visibility went against Christianity .
“As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and respecting the dignity and freedoms of every American,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement. at ABC News.
“Unfortunately, it is no surprise that politicians seek to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never abuse his faith for political gain or profit,” added Bates.
Biden, who is only the second Catholic president of the United States and regularly attends Mass, faced growing conservative criticism over the weekend over a proclamation he issued Friday honoring “the courage and the extraordinary contributions of transgender Americans” for Transgender Day of Visibility – which occurs annually on March 31.
The date of Easter, which varies, fell on the same day this year.
Biden has issued a proclamation marking March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility every year since taking office in 2021.
He also issued a statement on Easter Sunday, saying in part that it “reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s resurrection.” As we gather with our loved ones, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus. We pray for and cherish each other.” the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities.

President Joe Biden speaks as he announces a preliminary agreement with Intel for a major CHIPS and Science Act award, during a visit to the Intel Ocotillo campus, Chandler, Arizona, March 20, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters, FILE
President Mike Johnson Saturday posted on that the Biden administration “betrayed the central principle of Easter, which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
The speaker went on to say that Biden’s conduct around Easter was “outrageous and abhorrent,” including the fact that he “proclaimed Easter Sunday as ‘Transgender Day,’ although the president was actually marking a date celebrated since 2009.
ABC News reached out to Johnson’s office for further comment and received no response.
Former 2024 Republican presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy echoed Johnson’s attack in his own social media posts.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, another former Republican presidential candidate, also sent a text to his supporters — along with a donation link — saying Biden had “insulted Christians everywhere.”
Trump’s re-election campaign joined the chorus of Republican criticism on Saturday, calling Biden’s proclamation “blasphemous.”
“We call on Joe Biden’s failed campaign and the White House to apologize to the millions of Catholics and Christians across America who believe that tomorrow is only one celebration: the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. statement.
Trump has a history of questioning the religious beliefs of his adversaries.
Biden’s allies also dispute the attacks.

President Joe Biden speaks at the Washoe Democratic Party office in Reno, Nevada, March 19, 2024.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
“This is just another example of people who don’t know how to lead us and are trying to divide us, and that’s the opposite of the Christian faith,” Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, who is also a pastor in Atlanta. on Sunday.
Another layer of criticism against Biden this Easter weekend concerns an egg art competition for the annual Easter egg roll scheduled for Monday at the White House. Trump, Johnson, Scott and Ramaswamy each claimed the administration banned religious depictions in the contest.
The American Egg Board, which works to promote egg farmers, has partnered with the White House for the annual exhibits around Easter for 47 years, including during the Trump administration, a spokesperson told ABC News.
The spokesperson said the council, created by Congress, must follow federal guidelines, including one that prohibits them from being sympathetic to any religion — language they say they have included in their promotions for years.
A copy of this year’s flyer calling for participation in the youth egg art competition lists restrictions including promoting discrimination, illegal drugs and guns or “any questionable content, religious symbols, overtly religious or partisan political statements.”
“The American Egg Board has supported the White House Easter Egg Roll for more than 45 years and the guidelines mentioned in recent news reports have been consistently applied to the board since its inception, across administrations,” the organization said in a press release.
ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa and Soo Rin Kim contributed to this report.