In May 2018, President Donald Trump established a "religious office" to give religious groups a "voice in government."

In May 2018, Trump did establish the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, in the Executive Office of the President of the United States; the administration said the initiative would give faith-based organizations a "voice in the White House."

The description of the initiative as a "religious office" did not come from Trump's White House itself; the meme leaves out the fact that Trump's 2018 initiative was not a radical new departure, but rather represented significant continuity from earlier similar initiatives in the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

On 3 May 2018, the “Occupy Democrats” Facebook page posted a meme which claimed that the president had violated the constitutional separation of church and state by setting up a “religious office”:

Trump did sign an executive order in May 2018 to establish a new faith-based initiative within the White House, but nobody from his administration called it a “religious office” — that description appears to have come from Occupy Democrats.

Furthermore, Trump’s initiative represents significant continuity of, rather than a departure from, the previous two administrations. Although every detail and working of the new initiative has not yet been outlined, it certainly does not represent a radical change.

Trump’s White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative bears a striking resemblance to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which George W. Bush set up in 2001, and which Barack Obama continued during his administration, but renamed the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

In brief, Trump’s executive order — which he signed on 3 May 2018, the National Day of Prayer — replaces the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships with the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, keeping it within the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

The executive order also sets out the following:
• The initiative will be led by an Advisor to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, based out of the Office of Public Liaison.
• The executive order abolishes Obama’s Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Beyond that, Trump’s order is somewhat vague on the exact workings of the initiative and the duties of the advisor who will lead it:
• The initiative will consult with “experts and faith and various faith and community leaders” with an interest in poverty, religious freedom, education, crime prevention, “strengthening marriage and family,” and other issues
• The advisor will give the president recommendations about policy relating to the services provided by faith-based and community organizations.

One potentially significant provision in the executive order calls for those in charge of the Faith and Opportunity Initiative to contact the Attorney General if they see potential executive branch violations of a religious liberty memorandum published by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in October 2017.

The Sessions memorandum reiterated the positions set out by Trump in an earlier executive order, in which the President wrote:

President Trump has prioritized enhancing legal protections for religious freedom, including when it comes to obligations placed on faith-based organizations that receive federal funding, the freedom of employers and employees to abstain from practices (particularly in health care) which they feel compromise their religious beliefs, and in calling for an end to the Johnson Amendment, a long-standing provision that bars religious 501 (c)(3) non-profit groups from engaging in electoral activism.

In his 2001 executive order establishing the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, President George W. Bush emphasized that a driving force behind the policy was a desire to “level the playing field” in the disbursement of federal funding, and enhance the funding opportunities available for religious non-profit organizations — especially those focused on poverty, addiction, crime and other social issues:

The Occupy Democrats meme is largely accurate. In May 2018, Trump did indeed establish an initiative within the White House which would give faith-based organizations what the administration called a “voice in the White House.” However, the description of the initiative as a “religious office” did not come from the Trump administration itself, and that is not its official name.

Furthermore, Trump’s 2018 initiative represents significant continuity from predecessor offices set up by George W. Bush in 2001 and Barack Obama in 2009, although the exact focus, workings, and influence of Trump’s initiative remain to be seen.</s>CLOSE President Donald Trump is marking the National Day of Prayer with faith leaders in the White House Rose Garden amid a firestorm over payments to a porn actress. (May 3) AP

President Trump shakes hands with Pastor Darrell Scott, co-founder of the New Spirit Revival Center, before Trump signs an executive order during an event in the Rose Garden Thursday. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — President Trump signed an executive order revamping the White House office on faith issues on Thursday, restoring a Bush-era initiative to get religious groups more involved in providing federally funded social services.

The executive order repeals Obama administration rules limiting the ability of groups getting federal funds to preach to those they serve. Under the Trump order, faith-based groups will no longer have to refer beneficiaries to alternative programs if they object to the religious teachings.

"As president, I will always protect religious liberty," Trump said.

Trump signed the order in a Rose Garden ceremony for the National Day of Prayer, where he declared, "Faith is more powerful than government, and nothing is more powerful than God."

The order changes the name of the faith-based office to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative — dropping the words "community" and "neighborhood" that had been part of the office's mandate under the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.

The office will consult with faith leaders regularly, advising the attorney general on ways that the federal government has failed "to comply with protections of federal law for religious liberty."

"This office will also help ensure that faith-based organizations have equal access to government funding and the equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs," Trump said.

But critics said the order was aimed at advancing evangelical Christianity at the expense of people who benefit from federally funded services.

"The whole Trump-Pence line of activity around this issue is enabling fundamentalists to impose their religion on the rest of us," said Rachel Laser, the CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Women, gays and lesbians, and members of minority religious groups could face new barriers to taxpayer-funded services, she said.

Trump's proclamation of a National Day of Prayer followed a tradition that goes back to 1952, when Congress asked President Harry Truman to "shall set aside and proclaim a suitable day each year, other than a Sunday, as a National Day of Prayer, on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation."

With a gospel choir and invocations from Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon and Hindu faith leaders, Vice President Pence declared that "believers of every background have a champion in President Donald Trump."

But the event also came at an awkward time for Trump, who is facing new questions after his lawyer admitted Wednesday that Trump had ultimately paid hush money to a pornographic actress just before the 2016 election.

When reporters tried to ask Trump about the allegations, one member of the audience shouted, "Shame on you!"

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2Ia4Okp</s>WASHINGTON — President Trump signed an executive order revamping the White House office on faith issues on Thursday, restoring a Bush-era initiative to get religious groups more involved in providing federally funded social services.

The executive order repeals Obama administration rules limiting the ability of groups getting federal funds to preach to those they serve. Under the Trump order, faith-based groups will no longer have to refer beneficiaries to alternative programs if they object to the religious teachings.

"As President, I will always protect religious liberty," Trump said.

The order came in a Rose Garden ceremony for the National Day of Prayer, where Trump declared, "Faith is more powerful than government, and nothing is more powerful than God."

The White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, the new name for the office that will coordinate the policy, will be required to consult with faith leaders regularly. One if its goals: To advise the attorney general on ways that the federal government has failed "to comply with protections of federal law for religious liberty."

"This office will also help ensure that faith-based organizations have equal access to government funding and the equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs," Trump said.

Trump's proclamation of a National Day of Prayer followed a tradition that goes back to 1952, when Congress asked President Harry Truman to "shall set aside and proclaim a suitable day each year, other than a Sunday, as a National Day of Prayer, on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation."

With a gospel choir and invocations from Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon and Hindu faith leaders, Vice President Pence declared that "believers of every background have a champion in President Donald Trump."

But the event also came at an awkward time for Trump, who is facing new questions after his lawyer admitted Wednesday that Trump had ultimately paid hush money to a pornographic actress just before the 2016 election.

When reporters tried to ask Trump about the allegations, one member of the audience shouted, "Shame on you!"</s>President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, expanding upon previous administrations' faith-based initiatives.

At a National Day of Prayer event held at the White House Rose Garden on Thursday morning that featured speakers of diverse religious backgrounds, President Trump signed the executive order.

"The executive branch wants faith-based and community organizations, to the fullest opportunity permitted by law, to compete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs, and other Federal funding opportunities," reads the order in part.

"The efforts of faith-based and community organizations are essential to revitalizing communities, and the Federal Government welcomes opportunities to partner with such organizations through innovative, measurable, and outcome-driven initiatives."

In his remarks at the Rose Garden event, Trump championed his administration's efforts to protect the religious liberty of people both in the United States and overseas and labeled the executive order a "historic action."

"The faith initiative will help design new policies that recognize the vital role of faith in our families, in our communities, and our great country," stated Trump.

"This office will also help ensure that faith-based organizations will have equal access to government funding and the equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs. We take this step because we know that in solving the many, many problems and our great challenges, faith is more powerful than government. And nothing is more powerful than God."

Critics of the new executive order, including Americans United for Separation of Church and State, have argued that it will further advance discriminatory measures in the name of religion.

In a statement released Thursday, Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser blasted the executive order as "one more attempt by Trump, cheered by his Evangelical Advisory Board, to redefine religious freedom to mean the freedom to discriminate against those who do not share your religious beliefs."

"Our country is strongest when we are all free to believe, or not, as we see fit and to practice our faith without hurting others," stated Laser.

Last year, at the White House's National Day of Prayer observance, Trump used the event to officially sign an executive order meant to advance religious liberty.

The 2017 order received a mixed reaction from conservatives, many of whom felt that the measure did little to actually advance freedom of conscience.

"[The] executive order he signed today, while containing some helpful provisions for pastors and religious medical providers, falls far short of what is needed to protect people of faith from governmental persecution set in motion by the Obama administration," stated the National Organization for Marriage in 2017.

"President Trump talks eloquently about religious liberty and did so again today at a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. While he may sincerely believe in protecting religious liberty, his actual executive order does not do so in any meaningful way for the vast majority of people of faith."

The new order makes Trump the third president to have a White House office devoted to faith intiatives, after presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.</s>"The faith initiative will help design new policies that recognize the vital role of faith in our families, our communities and our great country," Trump said.

Trump said the executive order will ensure that faith-based organizations have equal access to government funding and an equal opportunity to exercise their beliefs.

​The White House said in a press release that all departments and agencies without a Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives will have to designate someone as a liaison to this new initiative.</s>President Donald Trump signs a proclamation at the National Day of Prayer event held in the Rose Garden on May 3, 2018. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Trump Marks National Day of Prayer With New Faith-Based Initiative

A May 3 executive order created a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, intended to assist the work of faith-based and community organizations and to facilitate freedom of religion.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order creating a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, within the Executive Office of the President.

The executive orderhighlights that “the efforts of faith-based and community organizations are essential to revitalizing communities,” and reiterates that “the Federal Government welcomes opportunities to partner with such organizations through innovative, measurable, and outcome-driven initiatives.”

The White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative will “consult with and seek information from experts and various faith and community leaders,” and will provide guidance on reducing “the burdens on the exercise of free religion.”

The initiative will also seek to arrange a partnership between faith-based and other community organizations in order to combat poverty.

Previous presidents have similarly instituted faith-based initiatives, focusing on ensuring that religious charities had access to federal funding and could be involved in government. George W. Bush created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which Barack Obama renamed the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. That head position in that office has remained vacant since Trump assumed the presidency.

The new initiative will have a stronger explicit focus on religious freedom. It will also create the position of “Advisor to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative” and will require executive departments to designate a liaison to the initiative.

Speaking in the Rose Garden with several religious figures, including Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, Trump discussed the goals of the new initiative.

“The faith initiative will help design new policies that recognize the vital role of faith in our families, our communities, and our great country,” he said.

“This office will also help ensure that faith-based organizations have equal access to government funding and the equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs.”

During the speech, which fell on the National Day of Prayer, Trump highlighted Jon Ponder, a member of the audience who turned his life around while in prison for bank robbery.

After hearing a Rev. Billy Graham sermon on the radio, Ponder decided that night to dedicate his life to Christ and started spreading the Bible to his fellow inmates. After he was released from prison, he started a ministry that has helped over 2,000 former inmates rejoin society.

“You are a living testament to the power of prayer,” Trump said.

Trump reiterated his administration’s commitment to religious freedom, recalling that he was the first president to address the March for Life in a live video message.

“Our country was founded on prayer. Our communities are sustained by prayer. And our nation will be renewed by hard work, a lot of intelligence, and prayer.”

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer from The Catholic Association praised the executive order for recognizing “the benefit to be had for all when the federal government partners with community and faith-based organizations to care for the needy.”

“People of all faiths, and those with no faith at all, find compassion and professionalism in the care they receive from groups motivated by faith. Today’s executive order hails their work — a wonderful product of the rich religious pluralism of our country.”</s>President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to establish a faith-based office with the goal of protecting religious freedom, he announced on Thursday.

The White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative will ensure 'the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the federal government,' Trump said at the Rose Garden during the White House's annual National Day of Prayer ceremony.

The president added: 'Prayer has always been at the center of the American life. America is a nation of believers, and together we are strengthened by the power of prayer.'

One of Trump's top faith advisers said the office's aim was a culture shift to minimize conversations about church-state barriers 'without all of these arbitrary concerns as to what is appropriate,' according to the Washington Post.

The office will make recommendations to the Trump administration and inform them of 'any failures of the executive branch to comply with religious liberty protections under law.'

It will also expand government grants to make sure faith-based groups have 'equal access to government funding and equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs.'

Johnnie Moore, a spokesman for Trump's evangelical advisory group, said the office will have an emphasis on prison reform, education, mental health and 'strengthening families.'

A newly-appointed White House adviser will lead the effort, which will be supported by religious leaders outside the government.

'We take this step because we know that in solving the many many problems and our great challenges, faith is more powerful than government and nothing is more powerful than god,' the president said.

Trump also told the crowd at the Rose Garden that he is to thank for people saying 'Merry Christmas' more and being more open about prayer.

He said: 'Don't you notice a big difference between two or three years ago and now? Now it's straight up.'

The Clinton administration had a similar office in the 1990s and faced legal challenges, with groups fighting to guard Constitutional protections against government-backed religion, as the Post points out. However, Trump is the first president to present such an office with such a homogeneously Christian group of advisers.

During last year's National Day of Prayer Trump cited 'religious liberty' when he signed an executive order to allow the IRS to opt out of the Johnson Amendment, which bans nonprofit groups from engaging in political campaign.

The 2017 executive order also allowed organizations to opt out Obamacare's requirement that they provide contraception care on religious grounds.

Trump's announcement on the White House faith-based office comes as the president admitted he paid his personal lawyer Michael Cohen back the $330,000 he paid to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair.</s>WASHINGTON — In front of a small crowd of cabinet members and religious leaders at the White House Rose Garden May 3, President Donald Trump announced, and then signed, an executive order giving faith-based groups a stronger voice in the federal government.

“It’s a great day,” he said after signing the order and passing out pens to religious leaders who surrounded him outside on the spring morning for the National Day of Prayer event.

No details about the order were given at the ceremony, but religious leaders were reminded of the work they do in caring for those in need and were assured by the president that their religious freedom would continue to be protected by the federal government.

A White House document posted online after the order was signed said its purpose was to ensure that faith-based and community organizations “have strong advocates” in the White House and the federal government.

It said the “White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative” would provide recommendations on programs and policies where faith-based and community organizations could partner with the government to “deliver more effective solutions to poverty.”

It also pointed out that the new office would enable the Trump administration to know of failures, within the executive branch, of complying with religious liberty protections and would ensure that faith-based organizations have “equal access to government funding and equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs.”

The initiative will be led by the newly created position of adviser to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative and will be supported by community and faith leaders outside of the federal government. It will have designated liaisons from executive departments and federal agencies.

A faith-based office is not new to the White House. Previous administrations, including those of Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, had similar offices.

The May 3 ceremony to announce this office began with a series of prayers, led first by Vice President Mike Pence, who also told the crowd that he and the president frequently have people telling them: “We’re praying for you.”

He said the Bible “tells us to persevere in prayer” and noted that the American people do this every day and would do this in a particular way during the National Day of Prayer when many would “bow a head or bend a knee” to pray for the nation.

Pence told the crowd that “believers of every background have a champion in President Trump,” and he reminded them of Trump’s executive order signed a year ago, also in a Rose Garden ceremony, which he said assured people of faith that “no one would be penalized for their religious beliefs.”

The new executive order takes that a step further, he added.

Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, one of several faith leaders to deliver a prayer from a podium on the White House lawn, prayed that people would have the grace to stay close to God and one another. He also prayed for government leaders and for believers to have the strength and courage to stand up for their faith.

Trump said prayer has “forged the identity of this nation” and has also sustained it.

He told the group that the new office was a necessary step because in solving many of today’s problems and challenges, “faith is more powerful than government and nothing is more powerful than God.”</s>Washington, DC - By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to assist faith-based and other organizations in their efforts to strengthen the institutions of civil society and American families and communities, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Faith-based and community organizations have tremendous ability to serve individuals, families, and communities through means that are different from those of government and with capacity that often exceeds that of government. These organizations lift people up, keep families strong, and solve problems at the local level. The executive branch wants faith-based and community organizations, to the fullest opportunity permitted by law, to compete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs, and other Federal funding opportunities. The efforts of faith-based and community organizations are essential to revitalizing communities, and the Federal Government welcomes opportunities to partner with such organizations through innovative, measurable, and outcome-driven initiatives.

Sec. 2. Amendments to Executive Orders. (a) Executive Order 13198 of January 29, 2001 (Agency Responsibilities With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives), Executive Order 13279 of December 12, 2002 (Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations), as amended by Executive Order 13559 of November 17, 2010 (Fundamental Principles and Policymaking Criteria for Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations), Executive Order 13280 of December 12, 2002 (Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture and the Agency for International Development With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives), Executive Order 13342 of June 1, 2004 (Responsibilities of the Departments of Commerce and Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration with Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives), and Executive Order 13397 of March 7, 2006 (Responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives), are hereby amended by:

(i) substituting “White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative” for “White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives” each time it appears in those orders;

(ii) substituting “White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative” for “White House OFBCI” each time it appears in those orders;

(iii) substituting “Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives” for “Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives” each time it appears in those orders; and

(iv) substituting “White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative” for “Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships” each time it appears in those orders.

(b) Executive Order 13279, as amended, is further amended by striking section 2(h) and redesignating sections 2(i) and 2(j) as sections 2(h) and 2(i), respectively.

Sec. 3. White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative. (a) There is established within the Executive Office of the President the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative (Initiative).

(i) The Initiative shall be headed by an Advisor to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative (Advisor). The Advisor shall be housed in the Office of Public Liaison and shall work with that office and the Domestic Policy Council, in consultation with the Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives established by Executive Order 13198, Executive Order 13280, Executive Order 13342, and Executive Order 13397, to implement this order.

(ii) The Initiative shall, from time to time and consistent with applicable law, consult with and seek information from experts and various faith and community leaders from outside the Federal Government, including those from State, local, and tribal governments, identified by the Office of Public Liaison, the Domestic Policy Council, and the Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives. These experts and leaders shall be identified based on their expertise in a broad range of areas in which faith-based and community organizations operate, including poverty alleviation, religious liberty, strengthening marriage and family, education, solutions for substance abuse and addiction, crime prevention and reduction, prisoner reentry, and health and humanitarian services.

(iii) The Advisor shall make recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, regarding changes to policies, programs, and practices that affect the delivery of services by faith-based and community organizations.

(iv) Executive departments and agencies (agencies) that lack a Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiative shall designate a Liaison for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives as a point of contact to coordinate with the Advisor in carrying out this order.

(v) All agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide such information, support, and assistance to the Initiative as it may request to develop public policy proposals.

(b) To the extent permitted by law, the Initiative shall:

(i) periodically convene meetings with the individuals described in section 3(a)(ii) of this order;

(ii) periodically convene meetings with representatives from the Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives and other representatives from across agencies as the Advisor may designate;

(iii) provide recommendations regarding aspects of my Administration’s policy agenda that affect faith-based and community programs and initiatives;

(iv) help integrate those aspects of my Administration’s policy agenda that affect faith-based and other community organizations throughout the Federal Government;

(v) showcase innovative initiatives by faith-based and community organizations that serve and strengthen individuals, families, and communities throughout the United States;

(vi) notify the Attorney General, or his designee, of concerns raised by faith-based and community organizations about any failures of the executive branch to comply with protections of Federal law for religious liberty as outlined in the Attorney General’s Memorandum of October 6, 2017 (Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty), issued pursuant to Executive Order 13798 of May 4, 2017 (Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty); and

(vii) identify and propose means to reduce, in accordance with Executive Order 13798 and the Attorney General’s Memorandum of October 6, 2017, burdens on the exercise of religious convictions and legislative, regulatory, and other barriers to the full and active engagement of faith-based and community organizations in Government-funded or Government-conducted activities and programs.

Sec. 4. Revocation of Executive Orders. Executive Order 13199 of January 29, 2001 (Establishment of White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives), and Executive Order 13498 of February 5, 2009 (Amendments to Executive Order 13199 and Establishment of the President’s Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships), are hereby revoked.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.</s>WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump celebrated the National Day of Prayer by announcing a White House initiative that he said would underpin policies recognizing the "vital role" of religion in the country. "America is a nation of believers," he said.

Shortly before the Rose Garden event Thursday, Trump acknowledged reimbursing his personal attorney for hush money the lawyer paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels, who alleges a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. The White House says Trump denies that accusation, and Trump had claimed no knowledge of the financial arrangement.

Trump tweeted before the faith event that the payments just before the 2016 election "had nothing to do with the campaign."

The president did not address the issue in his public remarks, focusing instead on the power of prayer as a centerpiece of American life.

"Faith has shaped our families, and it's shaped our communities," he said. "It's inspired our commitment to charity and our defense of liberty, and faith has forged the identity and the destiny of this great nation that we all love."

Trump outlined steps by the administration to safeguard religious freedom and pledged to continue doing so.

He signed an executive order creating a "White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative" that will, among other things, make recommendations on policies that affect faith-based and community programs. Trump said the new office will help ensure such groups have "equal access" to government money and the "equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs."

"We take this step because we know that in solving the many, many problems and our great challenges, faith is more powerful than government and nothing is more powerful than God," Trump said.

[PRESIDENT TRUMP: Timeline, appointments, executive orders + guide to actions in first year]

The ceremony featured prayers from various faith leaders, including Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of the late evangelist Billy Graham; Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C.; Levi Shemtov, the longtime Washington leader for the Chabad Lubavitch movement; and also the rabbi of the synagogue where Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump attend services in town.

Members of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, where more than two dozen worshippers were killed in a November shooting, attended the event.

Trump said Thursday that he is responsible for people saying "Merry Christmas" more, and talking more openly about prayer. "Don't you notice a big difference between two or three years ago and now? Now it's straight up."

Melissa Rogers, who was executive director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships under former President Barack Obama, said in a statement that protecting religious freedom should be a key goal of the government.

"At the event today, President Trump should retract and apologize for his call for 'a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,'" she wrote in an email. "President Trump should also pledge to respect and vigorously protect the equal rights of Americans of all faiths and none, including the rights of American Muslims to religious freedom."

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, who runs the policy-outreach arm for the Reform Movement, the largest segment of American Judaism, said in an email that he has "grave concerns" about the new initiative and its ability to let faith groups play a key role in government programs while also protecting "the rights all people, regardless of their faith. We have already seen efforts by this administration to undermine essential rules ... thereby threatening religious liberty."

As Trump mingled with guests on his way back to the Oval Office, a reporter shouted to the president, "Why are you changing your story on Stormy Daniels?" Someone in the audience shouted back, "Shame on you!"

Information for this article was contributed by Darlene Superville and Ken Thomas of The Associated Press; and by Sarah Pulliam Bailey and Michelle Boorstein of The Washington Post.
Donald Trump signs an executive order to give greater freedoms to federally funded faith-based initiatives.