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Trump Could Sign Sweeping Religious Liberty Order As Early As This Week

Thursday is the National Day of Prayer.

Donald Trump has invited conservatives and religious leaders to the White House on Thursday, the National Day of Prayer. But Politico reports that's when he'll sign a controversial executive order on religious freedom.

The order reportedly grants broad exemptions to companies, groups and individuals that claim strongly held religious convictions. A draft of the order leaked in February gave businesses and individuals the right to deny jobs, housing, services and even marriage certificates to LGBT Americans. It sparked outrage and lead the White House to declare it would keep federal protections for LGBT workers. (Insiders claim First Daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, persuaded Trump to table the order at the time.)

Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 3: President Donald Trump walks out to greet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi as he arrives outside the West Wing at the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, April 03, 2017. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Evangelicals are still working hard to undo the progress on LGBT rights made by the Obama administration: The First Amendment Defense Act, now before Congress, would have much the same effect as an executive order, but would be harder to undo.

“I feel confident that they have an appreciation of religious freedom, and I’m pretty certain they’re going to address it,” said Family Research Council head Tony Perkins. “I’m talking to people in the Trump administration, and I know they understand the importance of this.” Perkins added that the issue is of particular interest to Vice President Mike Pence, who signed anti-LGBT legislation into law as governor of Indiana.

Two senior administration officials confirmed the plan to Politico, though one cautioned it was still being fine-tuned.

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