President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington for her remarks at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday, in which she called for mercy towards illegal immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community.
During her speech, Bishop Budde expressed concern over Trump’s new policies, which she believes are instilling fear in vulnerable groups such as immigrants and LGBTQ individuals in the country. She conveyed that these policies were harsh and lacked compassion, calling on the president to show mercy to these communities.
However, Trump responded with a statement on Wednesday, sharply criticizing the bishop. He accused her of being a “Radical Left hard-line Trump hater” and demanded an apology from both her and her church for what he called inappropriate and divisive remarks. Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the tone of her speech, labeling it as “nasty” and dismissing her arguments as neither compelling nor smart.
In his statement, Trump also criticized the overall tone of the National Prayer Service, describing it as “very boring and uninspiring,” and stated that the bishop is “not very good at her job.” He ended his comments by claiming that she and her church owed the public an apology for their actions during the service. Trump’s reaction comes shortly after he issued executive measures on Monday, his first day in office during his second term, which included suspending the arrival of asylum seekers and expelling migrants who are in the country illegally.