President Donald Trump's first National Prayer Breakfast was notable -- not only for his criticism of "The Apprentice" host, actor Arnold Scwarzenegger -- but for his promise to "destroy" the Johnson Amendment.
The 1954 provision prevents a tax-exempt entity, like a church, from endorsing or opposing a political candidate -- a legal delineation that separates church and state in the U.S.
Eliminating the Johnson Amendment has been a goal of the religious right, and Trump promised repeal on the campaign trail.
Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a Democrat from Connecticut's 5th Congressional District, attended the event. She said a repeal would further polarize the country politically.
"I think it's really important to have separation of church and state," Esty said on a conference call with reporters Thursday. "The charitable status of religious institutions is an important part of the foundation of this country. I am loathe to jump to that direction -- I think there are a lot of consequences that can come from that."
Joining Esty at the National Prayer Breakfast was Imam Hamid Malik of the Baitul Aman Mosque in Meriden.
Malik said after Trump's executive order banning travel from several Muslim-majority countries, he had second thoughts about attending the event. But in the end, he said, he saw the event as an opportunity to come together as a country.
"Prayers were so important today," said Malik, "and that's why we aspire, as Muslims, as minorities, and also as Americans, we aspire to unite, rather than divide."
The Baitul Aman Mosque in Meriden made national headlines in 2015, when a gunman opened fire on the empty mosque after a night of drinking, allegedly as a response to the terrorist attacks in Paris. Members later invited the gunman, Ted Hakey Jr., to the mosque, where he apologized for the incident.
Esty said she invited Malik to the National Prayer Breakfast because she was "inspired by his leadership in the aftermath of the shooting."
