President Donald Trump demanded an apology from Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde after she appealed to him for “mercy” for LGBT-identified Americans and illegal immigrants during an inaugural prayer service.
Budde, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, addressed Trump while he was seated in the front row at the Washington National Cathedral on Monday, alongside First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance with his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance.
In her prayer, Budde referenced Trump’s belief that God saved him from an assassination attempt, stating, “You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”
This expresses dissatisfaction with President Trump's signing of an executive order to abolish the 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)' policy on his first day in office and his announcement of a tough stance on undocumented immigrants.
Budde's biography on the cathedral's website describes her as “an advocate and organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of [LGBT] persons, and the care of creation.”
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to criticize Budde, labeling her a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.”
Trump expressed strong disapproval, stating, “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.”
He accused Budde of sidestepping the issue of illegal immigration, asserting, “[Budde] failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.” He called for Budde and the cathedral to issue a “public apology” for her sermon, describing the service as “a very boring and uninspiring one.”
In a response on ABC's "The View" Wednesday morning, Budde addressed the controversy, stating her intention was “to pray with the nation for unity.”
Budde continued, “I also realized that unity requires a certain degree of mercy, compassion, and understanding. So, knowing that a lot of people ... in our country right now are really scared, I wanted to take the opportunity in the context of that service for unity to say we need to treat everyone with dignity and we need to be merciful. I was trying to counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarizing, and in which people, real people, are being harmed.”
She added, “In the Name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” highlighting that “there are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families. Some who fear for their lives.”
Budde also pointed out the contributions of immigrants, explaining, “The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens, or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.”
Bishop Mariann Budde has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, particularly during a 2020 incident when Trump held a photo opportunity outside St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House, the day after protesters set fire to part of the church. At that time, Budde stated, “The President just used a Bible and one of the churches of my diocese as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our church stands for.”
U.S. Park Police and National Guard troops cleared protesters using tear gas before Trump walked from the White House to the church for the photo op and brief comments. Budde argued that the move desecrated “our sacred space.”
In August 2020, Budde offered a prayer for the Democratic National Convention, indicating her growing distance from Trump. She remarked, “I’ve given up speaking to President Trump. We need to replace President Trump.”
