President Donald Trump has gone after Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington over her comments at a national prayer service.
The event was held at the Washington National Cathedral and was part of the inaugural festivities.
Trump and his wife, Melania were at the event and seated in the front pew.
During the service, Bishop Budde made an impassioned plea to the president to show compassion to the marginalized – immigrants and LGBTQ people.
She addressed Trump directly and said, “Have mercy, Mr. President. There are gay and lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families.”
She went on to talk about the struggles of immigrant workers, saying, “The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who work in poultry farms and meatpacking 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.”
Apparently, the bishop’s speech hit a nerve.
When asked about the bishop’s comments, Trump said the service was “not a good one.”
He later went on his Truth Social and called Bishop Budde a “Radical Left hard-line Trump hater.”
He said her tone was “nasty” and accused her of bringing politics into the church.
Trump also called the service “boring and uninspiring” and demanded an apology from both the bishop and her church.
This comes as Trump has announced several controversial measures since being sworn in for a second term on Monday – suspending asylum seekers, expelling undocumented migrants and enforcing policies that recognize only two genders, male and female.
The divide between Trump’s administration and progressive religious leaders like Bishop Budde is a reflection of the ongoing social justice struggles in the United State.
Bishop Budde’s comments are shared by many faith leaders advocating for the vulnerable, while Trump’s response shows he’s still not having it.
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