Vice-President Mike Pence said anti-LGBT discrimination had 'no place' in Donald Trump's administration as he backed the president's decision to uphold protective measures for federal workers.

Pence told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos during an interview aired Sunday that 'in the patriot's heart, there's no room for prejudice'.

The White House on Tuesday released a statement saying an executive order signed by Barack Obama to protect LGBT federal workers against discrimination would remain in place. A draft order had been circulating, outlining plans to overturn the 2014 protections.

A conservative group leader questioned the White House's decision to uphold the measures, saying it was 'an issue of religious liberty'.

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Vice-President Mike Pence said in an interview aired Sunday that anti-LGBT discrimination had 'no place' in Donald Trump's administration

Stephanopoulos asked Pence about the criticism, prompting the vice-president to support Trump's stance.

'I think throughout the campaign, President Trump made it clear that discrimination would have no place in our administration,' Pence said.

'He was the very first Republican nominee to mention the LGBTQ community at our Republican National Convention and was applauded for it. And I was there applauding with him.'

The vice-president further praised Trump's message.

'I think the generosity of his spirit, recognizing that in the patriot's heart, there's no room for prejudice, is part of who this president is,' Pence said.

The vice-president (pictured during the interview) backed the president's decision to uphold protective measures for federal workers

Obama's executive order 11478 dates back to July 2014. It prevents federal contractors from discriminating based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

The order also added on to existing measures for federal employees, who were already protected against discrimination against sexual orientation. It ensured they couldn't be discriminated against based on their gender identity as well.

'The executive order signed in 2014, which protects employees from anti-LGBTQ workplace discrimination while working for federal contractors, will remain intact at the direction of President Donald J Trump,' the White House's statement released Tuesday reads.

Politician and activist Bob Vander Plaats, the CEO of social conservative group The Family Leader, questioned Trump's decision to keep the anti-discrimination measures in place.

'Our base would want to know who is responsible for what we believe is an issue of religious liberty — that would be of concern to us,' Vander Plaats told the New York Times.

'We have been consistent. We've cheered President Trump a lot. But on this one, our base is wondering why Obama's executive order would be allowed to stand?'

Pence however insisted that Trump's decision to uphold Obama's executive order was in line with his message during the presidential campaign.

He also emphasized Trump's 'reiterated commitment to religious liberty' and said it would be up to the president to determine whether further executive action was necessary in that area.