Sessions: Trump administration will defend religious freedoms

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday the Trump administration will not treat religious individuals as an “afterthought” and vowed that the Justice Department will get involved in more cases regarding freedom of religion.

Mr. Sessions’ remarks came at a meeting of the Council for National Policy, a conservative networking organization founded in 1981.

“The threats to religious freedom are threats to our First Amendment right to freedom of speech,” Mr. Sessions told the group.

In October, the Justice Department issued a directive to give religious organizations and individuals stronger protections to express their beliefs, even when they conflict with government regulations.

The directive was criticized because it provided stronger protections for employers making hiring decisions based on their religious faith. Some claimed the directive would lead to discrimination against individuals whose sexual orientation clashed with their employers’ faith.

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