First, I think it’s safe to say that Trump will lean on the same type of faith-related advisers in his second term as he did in his first term. These advisers will be proponents of religious freedom protections and work to strengthen or expand the protections that are currently available in federal rules.
These legal shifts will affect a number of ongoing policy debates, but especially debates over LGBTQ rights. Under Trump, it will likely be easier for faith-related organizations to gain exemptions from laws aimed at reducing anti-LGBTQ discrimination.
The expected surge in exemptions will further inflame the culture war, and it’s doubtful that the Trump administration will invest resources in trying to calm it. That could be bad news in the long run, according to some religious freedom advocates, since religious freedom is most secure when Americans of all stripes understand its importance.
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