A bishop speaking at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC told Donald Trump to his face to have mercy on LGBT+ youths and to understand that immigrants are not all criminals and that many are afraid of what he might do to them.
Mariann Budde, 65, is the Episcopalian bishop who confronted Trump during the National Prayer Service. Trump and Vice President JD Vance were in attendance as part of their first full day in the Oval Office.
While any mention of LGBT+ issues at Trump-related events tend to be negative, Budde forced the president to listen to a different perspective.
“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” she said. “Millions have put their trust in you. In the name of our God, I ask you, have mercy on people in our country who are scared now..”
One of Trump’s first acts on Monday was to issue an executive order declaring that only two genders exist.
Budde also implored the president to reconsider the way he treats and talks about migrants living in the U.S.
“They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” she said.
Trump has declared a national border emergency to give him the power to restrict border crossings, and has made clear during his campaign that he intends to continue on with mass deportations. His most brazen — and unconstitutional — plan thus far has been an order to end birthright citizenship in the U.S. That right is protected by the U.S. Constitution.
At least 22 states and a group of pregnant women have already sued the Trump administration over his plan to try to end birthright citizenship.
When asked later by reporters what he thought of the service, Trump seemed bored and suggested it wasn’t exciting enough for his tastes.
“Not too exciting, was it? I didn’t think it was a great service … they can do much better,” Trump said, responding to a reporter’s question.
Budde’s comments were not surprising; she has been a critic of Trump since his first term as president, describing his views and behavior as completely opposite those of Jesus. She made the comments after Trump held a Bible outside St John’s Church in Washington DC to complain about racial justice protesters in 2020.
“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,” she said in a social media post at the time.
She also said that her diocese stood by the protesters, who had taken to the streets to voice their frustration after the murder of George Floyd by now-former Minneapolis Police Department Office Derek Chauvin.
“In no way do we support the President’s incendiary response to a wounded, grieving nation,” she said. “In faithfulness to our Savior who lived a life of non-violence and sacrificial love, we align ourselves with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd and countless others through the sacred act of peaceful protest.”
Budde had once sworn off trying to talk to Trump, telling ABC News that she had “given up” trying to reason with the president, and expressing her belief that he needed to be replaced.
However, after his victory in 2024, Budd once again believed his re-ascenion to power needed to be addressed.
During comments she made to her diocese in Washington, D.C. Budde called on believers to remember the “dignity” of other people, not just those who share one’s political ideologies, noting that the vitriol in modern political rhetoric can make that task difficult.
“I’m grateful for the consistent message of those prayers: that regardless of political affiliation and strongly-held views, we are united in our commitment to follow Jesus in the way of love,” she said “Such love calls us to seek and serve Christ in all persons and uphold the dignity of every human being — a tall order at any time, but all the more so throughout a season of heated, divisive political rhetoric.”
She said that Trump’s victory beckons a “dramatic shift in power” that will be celebrated by some and frighten others, but ended on a hopeful note, saying that the shift also opens avenues for people to mature and show courage.
