At an inaugural prayer session the day before, Washington Episcopal Bishop Rev. Mariann Budde justified her supplication for mercy to President Donald Trump on behalf of immigrants and others on Wednesday.
“We’re in a particularly harsh moment now when it comes to conversations around immigrant populations in our midst, and so that was the reason for the tone I took now,” Budde said in an interview with MSNBC.
On Tuesday, Trump attended the first prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, where Budde pleaded with the president to show mercy to those in our nation who are afraid right now. She specifically mentioned gay, lesbian, and transgender children, some of whom she said are afraid for their lives.
Instead of using “sweeping terms,” Budde told anchor Rachel Maddow, she aimed to directly speak to Trump, pointing out that millions of voters had trusted him with power.
As you heard, I wanted to ask him to be more inclusive in his description of those who are afraid and in danger of losing everything. I felt that this would be a more kind way to put it,” Budde added.
In his lecture on Tuesday, Budde also discussed immigration, stating that the great majority of them are not criminals, even though some may not be citizens or possess the necessary paperwork.
In her interview on Wednesday, Budde stated that her sermon was intended to appeal not only to the president but also to anyone else who might be listening. She emphasized the importance of remembering our immigrant neighbors in our understanding of what it means to be an American, as well as what we know to be true about them and the type of people we are fortunate to be surrounded by.
Trump concluded his first day in office the day before Budde’s speech by signing an executive order declaring that only two sexes would be recognized by the federal government, male and female, and reintroducing the “Remain in Mexico” policy that had been in place during his first term for individuals attempting to enter the country through Mexico. Additionally, Trump proclaimed a state of national emergency at the border, which would allow the Defense Department to send the National Guard and soldiers there.
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump attacked the speech, labeling Budde a hardline Trump hater from the Radical Left and a so-called bishop.
In statements to Fox News on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also attacked Budde, claiming that the bishop had decided to “weaponize the pulpit” and that the bishop’s sermon-related comments “were egregious, and she should apologize to President Trump for the lies that she told.”
In response to the hate mail she has received since her sermon, Budde stated on Wednesday that she was attempting “to encourage a different kind of conversation.”
“You are free to disagree with me, of course. You are free to disagree with my actions or words. But might we treat one other with respect as fellow children of God and Americans? “I’d give you the same,” she said.