President Donald Trump demands an apology from the Episcopal bishop that asked him to ‘have mercy’ on transgender children and immigrant families during at Tuesday’s National Prayer Service.
A direct plea to Trump from Bishop Mariann Budde during the National Cathedral’s interfaith Service of Prayer for the Nation broke with tradition, in that these events are typically not political.
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. 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,” said Budde in her sermon.
The bishop referenced the immigrants who “pick our crops” and “labor in in poultry farms” may not be citizens or have the legal documentation, but she claimed the vast majority are “not criminals” adding that “they pay taxes and are good neighbors.”
Nearing the end of her 15-minute sermon, Budde said, “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, for we were all once strangers in this land.”
Donald Trump response to sermon
Shortly after the service, Trump responded to a reporter that asked what he thought of the service, the president said, “I didn’t think it was a good service, no. It wasn’t too exciting.”
“They can do much better,” he added.
Later that night, in the early Wednesday hours, Trump took to his Truth Social account with a fiery response to Budde’s sermon at the inaugural prayer service. Here’s what he said in the social media post:
“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. 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. 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!”
In an interview with The New York Times, Budde reportedly said “I wasn’t necessarily calling the president out. I was trying to say, ‘The country has been entrusted to you,’ And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy, right? Mercy. And to be mindful of the people who are scared.”
Bishop Budde, 65, is the first woman to serve as the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bishop Mariann Budde asks Trump for mercy on LGBTQ people, migrants
