At Donald Trump’s inaugural prayer service on Tuesday, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde made an emotional plea to the 47th US President, urging him to show mercy towards gay, lesbian, and transgender children, as well as undocumented immigrants. Her appeal came in response to Trump’s controversial policies, including ending birthright citizenship and officially recognizing only two genders in the United States.
Addressing Trump during the service at Washington National Cathedral, Bishop Budde said,
“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 of whom fear for their lives.”
The Bishop also defended immigrants, highlighting their contributions to essential sectors like farming, hospitality, and healthcare. She emphasized that the majority of undocumented immigrants are not criminals but hardworking taxpayers and good neighbors. “Our God teaches us to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land,” she said.
“The people who pick our farms, and clean our office buildings, who labour 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.”
Have mercy on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away… Our god teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger. For we were all once strangers in this land,”
she said.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: "The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors…may I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away." pic.twitter.com/iXaHJrPsof
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 21, 2025
Trump, seated in the front row with his wife Melania and Vice President JD Vance and Usha Vance, appeared unresponsive to the Bishop’s remarks. When asked about his reaction, Trump dismissed the sermon, stating, “Not too exciting, was it? I didn’t think it was a good service. No… They can do much better.”
President Trump following National Prayer Service: "Not too exciting, was it. I didn't think it was a good service. No…They can do much better." pic.twitter.com/iNpWGKaXhN
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 21, 2025
The controversy escalated when Trump took to his Truth Social platform the following day, calling Bishop Budde “nasty” and demanding an apology. “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service was a Radical Left hard-line Trump hater,” he wrote. “She and her church owe the public an apology!”
Adding to the backlash, Mike Collins, a Trump supporter, shared a clip of the sermon on X (formerly Twitter) and suggested that the Bishop should “be added to the deportation list.”
Donald Trump’s Policies on Gender and Immigration
During his inaugural address at the US Capitol, Trump announced sweeping changes to policies concerning gender and immigration. He declared that the United States government would officially recognize only two genders, male and female. “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders,” he said, calling the move a “revolution of common sense.”
Calling the new moves a “revolution of common sense”, he said, “I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”
Trump also announced plans to end birthright citizenship and enforce stricter immigration policies. “All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came,” he stated.
The Bishop’s heartfelt plea and Trump’s dismissive response have further deepened the divide over these contentious issues, with debates continuing to dominate public discourse.