President Donald Trump addressed the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday. During his speech, the 79-year-old made several big demands, including one about getting rid of the Johnson Amendment, a tax code provision from 1954 that prohibits all 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.
Donald Trump prays during a group prayer during the National Prayer Breakfast (REUTERS)What did Trump say at the National Prayer Breakfast?”People like me and people, like a lot of people, they want to hear from ministers, they want to hear from priests, they want to hear from them. And you were limited to talking about very important things like who to elect. If you said you’re gone, you can’t do it, even if you say it very nicely, because they’re going to be better,” Trump said.
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The President also added that he has worked hard to get rid of it.
“We worked hard to get rid of the Johnson Amendment. You can say as much as you want. Now, if you say something bad about Trump, I will change my mind, and I will, I will revoke your tax exempt status immediately,” he joked.
Trump claims fact-checkingTrump has limited the Johnson Amendment. In July of last year, the Internal Revenue Service said churches could endorse candidates without fear of losing their tax-exempt status. The company gave this statement to the court. The case was between National Religious Broadcasters et al and the IRS.
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“When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through traditional channels of communication about faith with religious services, about electoral politics viewed through the lens of religious faith, it is not ‘participating.[s]’No’ intervention[s]”In a ‘political campaign,’ within the ordinary meaning of those words,” the parties wrote in the filing.
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“Thus, properly construed communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through the normal channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment.”
