President Donald Trump on Friday became the first sitting president to address the Values Voter Summit, an event sponsored by the Family Research Council, a group known for its anti-LGBTQ views.
The Values Voter Summit started in 2006 as a gathering for people who want “to preserve the bedrock values of traditional marriage, religious liberty, sanctity of life and limited government.”
During his remarks at the event in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Trump touted his administrations “religious freedom” guidance, arguing that “no religious group is ever targeted under my administration.” But Trump’s actions in the White House so far contradict that statement.
Since January, Trump’s administration has been fighting for a travel ban that would keep people from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.
But Trump was much quicker to condemn black athletes and their allies who have chosen to kneel when the national anthem plays before games to raise awareness about the oppression of black people in America. He referenced the protests on Friday when he claimed that “we respect our great American flag,” prompting a standing ovation from the Values Voter audience.
Trump also spoke about the Las Vegas shooting, as well as hurricanes that recently hit Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.
The president has been criticized for his response to the devastation in Puerto Rico, much of which has been without power in the weeks since Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on the island. On Thursday, Trump tweeted, “We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders... in P.R. forever!”
He seemed to walk back that comment Friday.
“It’s not even a question of a choice, we don’t even want a choice. We’re going to be there as Americans,” Trump said.
Trump spoke at the summit as a presidential candidate in both 2015 and 2016. Other speakers at this year’s event include Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka, who both previously worked as advisers to Trump.
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American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): We will see him in court.
“The ACLU fights every day to defend religious freedom, but religious freedom does not mean the right to discriminate against or harm others. If President Trump signs an executive order that attempts to provide a license to discriminate against women or LGBT people, we will see him in court.” -- ACLU Deputy Legal Director Louise Melling
GLSEN: It is un-American to make anyone’s basic rights subject to the personal discretion of others.
“This executive order does not increase freedom of religion – already protected by our Constitution – it creates a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people, women, Muslims, people of color, and other marginalized groups. For at-risk youth, this EO could undermine crucial safeguards against discrimination that create opportunities for them to survive and succeed. It is un-American to make anyone’s basic rights subject to the personal discretion of others. It also goes against the rule of law and core principle of equal protection and would surely be challenged in the courts. Just 100 days ago, Donald Trump said he would not discriminate against LGBTQ people. Today, he’s reportedly on the verge of handing all of our fellow Americans a personal license to ignore our rights." -- GLSEN Executive Director, Dr. Eliza Byard
Human Rights Campaign (HRC): By even considering this discriminatory order he has broken his promise.
“Donald Trump’s rumored unconstitutional action is nothing more than a license-to-discriminate order that puts millions of LGBTQ people at risk. There is no religious freedom crisis in America today, but there is a crisis of hate and discrimination. At a time when two-thirds of all LGBTQ people report having experienced discrimination, Donald Trump is making the problem worse by giving legal cover to perpetrators. By even considering this discriminatory order he has broken his promise to be a president for all Americans.” -- Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin
National LGBTQ Task Force: It trashes the separation of church and state and aims to combine them.
“This executive order will be a charter for widespread and divisive discrimination, potentially against LGBTQ people, women, Muslim communities, and other marginalized communities. It is designed to destroy lives and roll-back fundamental rights. It trashes the separation of church and state and aims to combine them. It will have an immediate and chilling impact on every aspect of people’s lives, disproportionately impacting those who are low-income or otherwise marginalized. What will be shocking to millions of people of all faiths and secular people alike is that Trump radically twists freedom of, and freedom from, religion to justify this amoral action. In fact, the research shows that 61 percent of people of faith in America actually support LGBTQ inclusion and 59 percent of those are against religious exemptions." -- National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund Executive Director Rea Carey
Center For American Progress: CAP sees this for what it is: a license to discriminate.
"If media reports are accurate, President Trump is—once again—on the verge of signing an executive order to sanction sweeping taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBT people, women, and their families in blatant violation of Trump’s promise to protect our LGBT citizens. If the executive order is anything like the draft leaked in February, it would give for-profit corporations free rein to discriminate, leading to LGBT people and women being fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes, or even denied medical care simply because of who they are. The Trump administration is attempting to disguise this attack in the language of religious liberty, but CAP sees this for what it is: a license to discriminate." -- Executive Vice President for External Affairs at the Center for American Progress Winnie Stachelberg
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