The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. May 5, 2017 Executive Order Seeks to Expand Political Role for Religious Leaders -------------------------------------------------------------------- President Trump Thursday signed an executive order relaxing rules on tax-exempt religious groups that could expand the role of churches and religious leaders in U.S. politics. In a statement, American Civil Liberties Union Director Anthony Romero promised a lawsuit, saying, "The actions taken today are a broadside to our country's long-standing commitment to the separation of church and state. ... It's clear that the Trump administration and Congressional leadership are using religion as a wedge to further divide the country and permit discrimination." .