By An Episcopalian bishop embarrassed herself in front of the newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday. During an impassioned plea, that some have labeled more of a rant, Bishop Mariann Budde appeared to attack the new president’s agenda on illegal immigration and preventing minors from being given hormones during the National Prayer Service. Hosted at the historic Washington National Cathedral, the interfaith gathering typically marks the start of a new presidential term, offering prayers for the nation and its democratic institutions rather than serving as a partisan pulpit.
Laced with progressive buzzwords, Budde used her time to pray to urge the newly re-elected leaders to exhibit greater “compassion and understanding” toward “marginalized communities,” specifically LGBTQ individuals and undocumented immigrants. Her remarks underscored the way many on the left no longer revere institutions and instead see them as platforms to push their own politics.
The Daily Caller writes:
Budde requested that the newly sworn-in president and vice president “have mercy” on gay, lesbian and transgender people as well as illegal immigrants who are allegedly “scared” by the new administration. The new leaders did not appear amused by her lecture, with Vance repeatedly shooting looks to his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance.
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now,” Budde said. “There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. And 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, who 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 churches and our mosques, synagogues and temples.”
Trump and Vance attended the National Prayer Service along with Usha, First Lady Melania Trump and their families at the Washington National Cathedral. The interfaith service was held to “offer prayers of thanksgiving for our democracy” at the beginning of the new administration, according to a statement from the National Cathedral.
Budde, a staunch critic of Trump since his first term, said during a phone call in 2020 that she was “outraged” by the president’s speech about the importance of law and order at St. John’s Episcopal Church after it was set ablaze by Black Lives Matter protesters. She further seethed at Trump for allegedly being given no notice that the area surrounding the church would be cleared with tear gas.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She’s the first woman to hold the position.
She was given a great honor today, a chance to unify America around a Christian message at the dawn of a new administration. Instead, she disgraced… pic.twitter.com/IFA6a3nZno
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 21, 2025
The speech came on the heels of a series of controversial executive orders signed by Trump just a day prior, signaling an aggressive stance on immigration and gender identity. These orders included ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, and enforcing a federal policy recognizing only two sexes: male and female.
The National Prayer Service, traditionally a moment for unity and reflection, instead illuminated the stark divide between the administration’s policies strongly supported by the public and liberal elites who often control America’s cultural institutions.
Public opinion aligns closely with the administration on these issues. According to a recent Axios/Ipsos poll, 66 percent of Americans support deporting undocumented immigrants, while a 2023 PPRI poll found that 65 percent believe there are only two genders. These statistics highlight the polarized environment that framed Budde’s address.
That won’t stop Budde from getting what she is truly after, however: fame granted to her by liberals in the mainstream media.
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So you all understand what this was really all about now. https://t.co/1S0jsOzkk1
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 22, 2025
The bishop, reports The Daily Mail, “proudly puts her pronouns in her Instagram biography, is also pro-gay marriage and previously donated to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.
In a piece with the Washington Post in 2011, after being installed as the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, she was described as ‘unapologetically liberal‘.
The diocese website boasts that she serves as an advocate of racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform and inclusivity.
Budde, who is married with two adult children, had also previously oversaw a convention in the diocese that called for the disuse of gendered pronouns for God.”
Trump told reporters the sermon “wasn’t too exciting” and added he “didn’t think it was a good service.”
[Read More: Liberals Sue Trump Over Orders]
