Trump administration orders State Department employees to report 'anti-Christian bias': Report

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The Donald Trump administration has instructed US State Department employees to report any instances of "anti-Christian bias" among coworkers as part of a new executive order, according to a media report Friday.

Citing an internal cable, a Politico report stated that the directive, which was sent to US embassies worldwide under Secretary of State Marco Rubio's name, urged employees to submit anonymous tips detailing such incidents.

"Reports should be as detailed as possible, including names, dates, locations," the cable said.

The effort is part of an administration-wide push to root out anti-Christian sentiment within the federal government, following Trump's February executive order establishing a task force to investigate such claims.

While the cable noted that the executive order centers on anti-Christian bias, it also added that, "targeting anyone for their religious beliefs is discriminatory and is contrary to the Constitution and various federal laws."

"It’s very 'Handmaid’s Tale'-esque," one State Department official told Politico, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The State Department has not commented publicly on the cable.