Critics are condemning President Donald Trump for his attacks on a bishop who urged him during a religious service this week to govern mercifully, particularly when it comes to LGBTQ people and immigrants.
Mariann Edgar Budde, the bishop of the Washington, D.C. diocese for the Episcopal Church, gave a sermon at an interfaith National Prayer Service in that city on Tuesday. Attendees of the service included Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and their families.
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country,” Budde began her impassioned plea, which has now gone viral.
Budde noted that many people in the U.S. are “scared now” of what could happen under a Trump administration.
“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender people in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” Budde said.
She also addressed Trump’s plans for immigrants, noting that his policies were based on falsehoods.
“The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” 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,” she added.
Video of the speech, which spread quickly online, showed Trump staring on, stone-faced, as Budde spoke.
After the ceremony, Trump told reporters that he “didn’t think it was a good service” and that he was bored with her sermon.
In a Truth Social post the next day, Trump derided Budde by describing her as a “so-called Bishop” and a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.”
“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way,” Trump complained in his post. “She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.”
Trump also asserted that Budde was ignoring facts about immigrants, falsely claiming that they are coming to the U.S. and killing people in “large numbers.”
Notably, data has long demonstrated that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes in the U.S. than are U.S.-born citizens, with some findings showing that an influx of migrants into cities actually lowered crime rates.
Trump continued with his insults, saying Budde is “not very good at her job.”
“She and her church owe the public an apology!” Trump demanded.
Budde, however, isn’t the only religious leader to question Trump’s actions. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has also noted that Trump’s first actions as president have been inconsistent with Christian belief.
“Some provisions contained in the Executive Orders, such as those focused on the treatment of immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, expansion of the death penalty, and the environment, are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences,” Broglio said in a statement.
Indeed, Budde’s call for “mercy” echoes the “Sermon on the Mount” speech given by Jesus Christ in the Bible, one of the most important parts of Christian theology.
Trump has made efforts to appeal to far right Christians, frequently pandering to the burgeoning Christian nationalist movement in the U.S. But he has struggled to articulate his beliefs or to understand basic tenets of the faith, including failing to name a single Bible passage as his favorite when he first announced his run for president in 2015.
More recently, Trump pushed a “pay to pray” scheme, asking supporters that wanted to pray with him ahead of his inauguration to pay a $100,000 donation before getting tickets to do so.
Many critics online have voiced support for Budde’s bravery.
“A very brave and honourable lady. … The look of disdain on their faces [Trump, Vance and their families] tells you everything you need to know about their character,” author Dean Allen commented on X.
“Christians who voted for him, you should be ashamed of yourselves,” pastor and activist John Pavlovitz said.
“Trump exploded in fury at Bishop Marian Budde on Truth Social…There is nothing MAGA despises more than appeals to decency and humanity,” The New Republic’s Greg Sargent wrote.
“Not only does he completely fail to understand the message. He doesn’t have the grace to just let it go,” lawyer and activist Adam Cohen opined.
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