The Trump administration is facing growing backlash from parts of its own political coalition after the Department of Justice urged the Supreme Court to reject a case brought by New York healthcare workers who were fired for refusing COVID-19 vaccines on religious grounds.
The dispute centers on a group of healthcare employees who lost their jobs after New York eliminated religious exemptions from its vaccine mandate during the pandemic. The workers argue the policy violated federal civil rights protections by refusing to accommodate their religious beliefs, while the Justice Department says employers were still allowed to offer accommodations that fell short of complete exemptions from vaccination requirements.
The administration’s position has angered several conservative figures and religious liberty advocates who had expected stronger support from President Donald Trump’s DOJ.
Vaccine injury attorney Aaron Siri sharply criticized the government’s brief, calling it “a word salad of nonsense” and accusing the administration of undermining religious freedom protections. Siri tagged Trump directly on X, claiming the administration was “betraying religious liberty” by defending policies that allowed medical exemptions while rejecting religious ones.
Conservative activist and former Saturday Night Live cast member Rob Schneider amplified the criticism, calling the DOJ’s position “a stunning betrayal” of many supporters aligned with the Make America Healthy Again movement. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has clashed publicly with Trump, also weighed in, posting “Trump Disappointment Syndrome” in response to the controversy.
Covid mandates persist to this day 🚨
1000s of rising US healthcare students entering clinicals continue to be forced to take a shot they do not need & will likely causing harm
Some programs no longer allow ANY exemptions, including those for valid medical reasons
And not a… pic.twitter.com/BsBJEqefFO
— TeamRealityCT 💜🐭 (@TeamRealityCT) May 27, 2026
The administration’s stance arrives amid broader frustration among some conservative groups over several recent legal decisions. Critics have also pointed to the administration’s handling of ongoing litigation surrounding mifepristone, the abortion pill whose regulations were loosened under previous administrations.
In the vaccine case, the healthcare workers —represented by Liberty Counsel— argue that New York’s policy effectively banned any form of religious accommodation. According to court filings, employers denied or revoked previously approved accommodations after the state removed the exemption from its mandate.
The plaintiffs claim their employers refused even to engage in the interactive accommodation process typically required under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. One healthcare worker, who reportedly worked remotely and previously held exemptions from all vaccines, was allegedly informed that “religious exemptions are no longer accepted.”
The Justice Department, however, argued that Title VII does not necessarily require employers to grant complete exemptions from workplace requirements. In its filing, DOJ emphasized the distinction between an “accommodation” and an outright “exemption,” arguing the workers may still have been eligible for alternate accommodations under federal law.
The department also argued the case may not be appropriate for Supreme Court review because New York’s vaccine mandate has since been repealed and because there is no clear conflict among federal appeals courts on the issue.
Here is a bit more detail.
The Trump admin explained that “Petitioners are former healthcare workers who contend that New York’s now-repealed COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers—known as Section 2.61—conflicted with Title VII because it foreclosed employers from…
— Aaron Siri (@AaronSiriSG) May 27, 2026
Liberty Counsel pushed back in a supplemental filing, accusing the DOJ of ignoring evidence presented by the workers and focusing on “wordplay” instead of the practical effect of the mandate. The group argued that New York employers consistently treated the state policy as prohibiting any religious accommodation at all.
The plaintiffs also pointed to prior comments from Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who criticized vaccine mandates that lacked religious exemptions during the pandemic. In a 2021 dissent, Gorsuch wrote that healthcare workers who served on the front lines of COVID-19 were being fired “for adhering to their constitutionally protected religious beliefs.”
The Supreme Court has considered whether to take the case for months without issuing a decision.
The controversy adds to growing tension within parts of Trump’s base over how aggressively the administration should pursue issues involving religious liberty, vaccine mandates, and abortion policy during his second term.
