Trump Signs Executive Order Directing IRS Not to Enforce Johnson Amendment Against Churches

President Trump signed the Executive Order Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty on May 4, 2017, directing the IRS to exercise maximum enforcement discretion to avoid penalizing churches that speak on political issues from a religious perspective. The order did not repeal the Johnson Amendment, which remained federal law. Legal experts noted the IRS had not revoked any organization's tax-exempt status for candidate endorsement in the previous decade, limiting the order's practical impact.