Sameerah Munshi, a Muslim adviser on the White House Religious Liberty Commission, has resigned in protest over the US war in Iran and the removal of fellow commissioner Carrie Prejean Boller from the board. Munshi confirmed her resignation in a social media post, citing the "official removal of Carrie Prejean Boller for her deeply held beliefs about Palestine and the federal government's illegal war against Iran, undertaken without clear constitutional or congressional authorization."
Boller, a former Miss California USA and conservative influencer, was removed by President Donald Trump in March after Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick accused her of trying to "hijack" a hearing on antisemitism. During the meeting, Boller wore a pin featuring the American and Palestinian flags and questioned the definition of antisemitism, asking a Jewish panelist, Shabbos Kestenbaum, if he was "willing to condemn what Israel has done in Gaza." Kestenbaum refused, and later wrote an open letter accusing Boller of abusing Trump's trust by focusing on a foreign conflict.
Munshi stated that other commission members had mocked her faith and been hostile toward the Muslim community. She said she accepted her appointment to be "a voice of reason" for ordinary Americans and American Muslims whose rights are sidelined, but resigned because she had "seen firsthand the injustice perpetrated by members of this commission." She insisted she was not resigning out of fear.
Boller thanked Munshi for sticking to her values, writing, "Thank you for choosing your principals over your position." The Council on Islamic-American Relations commended both women for standing up for religious liberty and opposing "anti-religious bigotry." Boller, a longtime Trump supporter, expressed disillusionment, writing, "I thought MAGA stood for defending Americans who speak their convictions without fear of punishment."
