Trump falsely claims he got rid of law banning churches from endorsing candidates: report

President Trump on Monday falsely told evangelical leaders that he got “rid of” the Johnson Amendment, a law that prohibits churches from endorsing political candidates, according to NBC News.

“Now one of the things I’m most proud of is getting rid of the Johnson Amendment,” the president said, according to NBC News. “That was a disaster for you.”

{mosads}But the law actually remains in place after an attempt to kill it last year was unsuccessful.

A version of the House Republican tax bill released in November would have allowed churches to endorse political candidates, rolling back the provision inserted into law by then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson (D) of Texas in 1954. 

The repeal of the amendment was removed from the final version of the GOP tax-cut bill. 

Trump did, however, sign an executive order in May of last year meant to ease enforcement of the amendment.

Trump railed against the law while on the campaign trial, vowing to repeal it and saying he would give “churches their voice back.”

 “The first thing we have to do is give our churches their voice back,” Trump said in 2016. “The Johnson Amendment has blocked our pastors from speaking their minds from their own pulpit. If they want to talk about Christianity, if they want to preach or talk about politics, they’re unable to do so. They take a tremendous risk that they’ll lose their tax-exempt status.”

He also said shortly after taking office that he would “totally destroy” the amendment.