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Yesterday, on the National Day of Prayer, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that relaxes the restrictions on political expression of religious groups. From the White House Rose Garden, Trumps said, “We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied, or silenced anymore, and we will never ever stand for religious discrimination. No American should be forced to choose between the dictates of the federal government and the tenets of their faith.”
The existing provision, the Johnson Amendment, prevents religious leaders from engaging in politics, revoking their tax-exempt status with the IRS, if they do. The executive order signed yesterday instructs the IRS to use discretion in enforcing the Johnson Amendment – effectively, but not really – loosening the restrictions currently in place.
