During the inaugural prayer service at Washington's National Cathedral Tuesday, Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, urged President Donald Trump to “have mercy” on people who are “scared now,” including families with LGBTQ+ members and immigrants.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde arrives as U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during the National ... [+]
During her 15-minute sermon on Tuesday, Budde addressed Trump—who was seated in the front row—directly by citing his belief about being saved by God from assassination, and said: “In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”
Budde's plea mentioned “gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families,” across the country “who fear for their lives.”
The bishop also spoke up for immigrant workers, including those who may not “have the proper documentation,” saying the vast majority of them are “not criminals” but rather “good neighbors.”
Speaking at the White House after the service, Trump remarked it was “not too exciting” and added “I didn’t think it was a good service…They could do much better.”
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“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. 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. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurudwaras and temples. 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. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people. Good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen”
After the sermon, Budde told the New York Times that she “wasn’t necessarily calling the president out,” but rather making a plea “because of the fear” because of the fear see has seen among immigrants and L.G.B.T.Q. communities. Budde said she wants Trump to be “mindful of the people who are scared,” and added “I was trying to say: The country has been entrusted to you…And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy.”
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., shared a clip of the sermon on X and wrote: “The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.”
Who Is Mariann Edgar Budde, the Bishop Who Made a Plea to Trump? (New York Times)