But he lambasted the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt organisations such as churches and other places of worship, charities and educational institutions from directly or indirectly participating in any political campaign in favour of or against a political candidate. "I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution. After Trump's remarks, Republican House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters he has "always supported" eliminating the Johnson Amendment. Scrapping the Johnson Amendment has been a goal of Christian conservatives, who contend it violates free speech and religious freedom rights. Trump said Schwarzenegger, the Republican former governor of California, had disastrous ratings on the NBC reality TV program "Celebrity Apprentice," which Trump previously starred in.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 03, 2017 07:50 UTC