President Donald Trump has launched a scathing critique of a female Bishop who made a heartfelt plea for compassion towards immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community during a prayer service.
Trump’s remarks came after attending the service at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, January 21, the first full day of his presidency.
The controversy followed his inauguration speech on Monday, January 20, during which Trump declared there were only two genders in America and signed executive orders aimed at cracking down on immigration.
Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde addressed these actions in her sermon the next day, urging the President to show mercy towards marginalized communities.
“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” Budde said from the pulpit. She further advocated for immigrants, stating: “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.”
Budde continued, “I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger.”
The sermon reportedly left Trump and his family visibly unamused. When asked about the event afterward, Trump dismissed it as “not too exciting.”
Hours later, Trump reacted more forcefully on his Truth Social platform, launching into a tirade against Budde.
“The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard-line Trump hater,” Trump wrote. “She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She 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 continued, “Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!”
The exchange has since gone viral on social media, drawing both criticism and support for Budde’s remarks and Trump’s response. Critics have accused the President of dismissing calls for empathy, while his supporters have defended his stance as addressing critical issues.
This is not funny ooo.May he have mercy on these people please 🙏🙏🙏