In October 2019, following Widodo's re-election, Luhut's ministerial portfolio was expanded to cover investment. His strong influence has prompted the Indonesian media to describe him as a “prime minister”, the “second most influential cabinet member after the president” and “the real vice president”. In January 2020, Luhut was appointed chairman of Golkar Party's Advisory Board. On 13 March 2020, Luhut was appointed acting minister of transportation to replace Budi Karya Sumadi, who had tested positive for novel coronavirus. Police have said former president Suharto's youngest son Tommy Suharto on 14 January 2001 gave three bombs to an accomplice, and one of the bombs was planned to be detonated at the Trade and Industry Ministry with the aim of killing Luhut, who was then trade and industry minister, but police foiled the plot. In May 2019, following post-election riots in Jakarta by supporters of losing candidate Prabowo Subianto, police said they uncovered a plot to assassinate four senior officials, including Luhut. Retired general Kivlan Zen, a Prabowo ally, was accused of masterminding the plot. In January 2020, Kivlan accused Luhut of plotting to kill him. Luhut rejected the accusation, saying he already had enough work to do without killing people. As a member of Sumatra's Batak Protestant Church, Luhut is known for his strong advocacy of religious tolerance and plurality. In January 1999, he expressed concern to the "Wall Street Journal" over the politicization of religion in Indonesia following the Suharto's resignation, saying: "I'm shocked at how it's being turned into a political tool by some people. It's a very dangerous thing for Indonesia." Some 20 years later in an interview published by the Singapore-based Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in October 2019, he reiterated his concern over rising religious conservatism in Indonesia, saying: "We do not want to see Indonesia become like Syria or Iraq. We want to see Indonesia as [the way] our founding fathers foresee, i.e. a diverse society. It is not easy, but I think people started to realise this after the last election. We understand the problem and we are determined to tackle this firmly." Under President Widodo, Luhut has pushed for further Chinese investment in Indonesia. His frequent negotiations with China prompted critics to call him “China’s agent” and the “Chinese ambassador”.