Attorney General Barr Has Become Trump’s Religious Liberty Enforcer

When President Trump announced Friday that he would “override” governors who did not adopt his new guidelines for the reopening of churches, critics were quick to question if he had that authority.

Reporters in the White House pressroom hammered press secretary Kayleigh McEnany about whether or not Trump could legally act upon his threats. McEnany appeared to walk back the president’s words, suggesting that Trump would only “strongly encourage” governors to comply. It seemed to work: Over Memorial Day weekend, California, Minnesota, and Vermont, three of the five states still upholding complete bans on church services, relaxed their restrictions.

These results were a needed win for Trump, whose approval rating with many faith groups has slipped in the past month, partly because of his inconsistent attitude on churches remaining open during the coronavirus pandemic. And it’s a win Trump wouldn’t have scored without his dedicated enforcer on religious liberty issues: Attorney General William Barr.

Even before churches began suing states for alleged First Amendment violations, Barr was already sensing the coming fight over church closures. While Trump urged people to stay home for Easter, Barr said he was “very concerned” that churches were being given the short shrift in the rush to lock down the country. (Read more from “Attorney General Barr Has Become Trump’s Religious Liberty Enforcer” HERE)

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