The former president took to his Truth Social platform, writing, “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hardline Trump hater. She brought politics into the church in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone and neither compelling nor smart.”
This reaction followed Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington speaking directly to Trump during the customary inaugural service at Washington National Cathedral. Trump, attending alongside his wife Melania, had just issued orders suspending asylum seekers, expelling undocumented migrants, and recognizing only two genders—male and female—excluding transgender individuals.
During her sermon, Budde urged Trump to “have mercy, Mr. President,” delivering her plea to an unsmiling Trump seated in the front pew.
When later asked about the service, Trump remarked, “I didn’t think it was a good one.” However, his criticism intensified in his online post, where he accused Budde of being inappropriate and described the service as “boring and uninspiring.” He concluded with a sharp remark: “She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology.”
The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and religious leaders critical of his policies, underscoring the complex intersection of faith and politics in America.
