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President Donald Trump expressed his support on Wednesday for a new IRS position allowing churches to endorse political candidates, praising the decision as a win for religious freedom and faith leaders across the country.
“I love the fact that churches can endorse a political candidate,” Trump told reporters when asked about the policy change. “We have a lot of respect for the people that lead the church — the pastors, and the ministers, and the rabbis, and all different leaders, all different religions.”
Trump said he believes religious leaders should have the freedom to speak on political matters without fear of government penalties, calling it something he personally “would like to hear.”
The comments came in response to the recent court filing concerning the IRS, in which the agency stated that churches should be allowed to make political endorsements. The position arose in the context of a lawsuit filed by two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters, who argued that the current rules restricting such endorsements infringed upon their constitutional rights.
The case challenged the longstanding Johnson Amendment, a 1954 provision that bars tax-exempt organizations, including churches and charities, from participating in political campaign activity. The plaintiffs asked the court to issue a ruling that all nonprofits should be free to endorse candidates.
“Communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted,” the filing stated, jointly with the National Religious Broadcasters Association.
For decades, the Johnson Amendment has been a contentious issue among religious groups and advocates of the First Amendment. Under the law, churches faced the risk of losing their tax-exempt status if they were found to be engaging in political campaign activity, including endorsing or opposing specific candidates.
Trump, who has previously criticized the Johnson Amendment, said Wednesday that its enforcement created “a very big penalty” for churches that wanted to speak freely about political issues.
The IRS has not formally rewritten the rules, but it has acknowledged in court that churches should not be singled out for restrictions on speech. The agency’s updated stance has prompted concern from some legal experts who argue it could erode the boundaries between charitable work and political campaigning.