President Donald Trump criticized the bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday.
Bishop Mariann Budde, who is the Episcopal bishop of Washington, took time during her 15-minute sermon to lecture the president about her political beliefs.
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President,” she said. “Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, 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.”
“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” she added.
On Monday, Trump signed numerous executive orders that dealt with illegal immigration, such as declaring an emergency at the southern border and stopping birthright citizenship.
Budde asked the president to “have mercy” on “those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.”
“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. They pay taxes and are good neighbors,” said Budde.
Trump said on Truth Social that Budde 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. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people,” he said. “Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.”
The president added, “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.”
As a church, the Episcopalians have seen a decline in mass attendance. In 2014, an average of 600,000 people attended Sunday mass; however, by 2023, this number had fallen to around 400,000.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com. Follow Zachery on Twitter @zacheryschmidt2.
Photo “Bishop Budde” by Washington National Cathedral.
