Two delegates at the Democratic National Convention omitted the words "under God" when they recited the Pledge of Allegiance during caucus meetings this week.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," delegate A.J. Durrani said during the DNC's virtual assembly of Muslim delegates and allies.
NEW! Democrats leave out, "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance at the #DemocraticNationalConvention Muslim Caucus meeting this week. Watch delegate AJ Durrani skip it. Featured speakers at the event were @BernieSanders @RashidaTlaib & @TomPerez @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/Ra4SX2cqNy
— David Brody (@DavidBrodyCBN) August 19, 2020
Another delegate also omitted the words during the LGBTQ caucus meeting on Tuesday. The delegate paused for a beat, then proceeded with the pledge.
The phrase "under God" has been controversial since President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill into law inserting the phrase into the Pledge of Allegiance. In perhaps the most visible legal challenge to the phrase to date, an atheist father sued a school district on behalf of his daughter arguing that the phrase's inclusion in the pledge violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
A circuit court ruled that the pledge violated the Establishment Clause, but the Supreme Court reversed the ruling, finding that the father lacked legal standing to sue. The Court did not address the issue of the words' inclusion in the pledge.