Episcopal Bishop Asks Trump To 'Have Mercy' On LGBTQ Youth And Illegal Aliens At National Prayer Service

Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde speaks during the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2025.

During her message at the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., an Episcopal bishop inappropriately asked President Donald Trump to “have mercy” on illegal aliens and “transgender children” who “fear for their lives,” in her own words.

Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s comments follow the newly appointed president’s signing of a slew of executive orders that are intended to secure the southern border and drive extremist far-left ideology out of American institutions.

“In the name of our God, I ask you, to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now,” Bishop Budde said during the National Prayer Service. “There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families who fear for their lives.”

“And the people, 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 and work the night shifts in hospitals, they, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation,” Budde continued. “But the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches …”

“I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here,” she added.

Budde’s virtue-signaling remarks follow the Republican president’s signing of an executive order denouncing “efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex” — announcing that there are only two genders. Additionally, the directive prohibits grantees from using federal taxpayer funds to promote far-left gender ideology, and it requires executive agencies to cease promoting gender ideology in their own operations.

Trump has also signed a number of illegal immigration-related executive orders, such as one that designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, another that limited birthright citizenship for illegal aliens, and one that declared a national emergency at the border. In the days ahead, the president is also anticipated to start a wave of deportations of illegals.

Trump has a history of being criticized by Budde, who even called his decisions “antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that we as a church stand for” when he used riot police to drive violent Black Lives Matter (BLM) rioters out of the area around the White House years ago.

Many social media users have also questioned why there was “no vetting process” in regards to allowing a left-leaning anti-Trump bishop to lead the national prayer during Trump’s inauguration festivities.

Others felt the need to correct the bishop on some of her “Biblically inaccurate beliefs” and teachings.

“Apparently the ‘pastor’ forgot this part: Genesis 1:27-28 – So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. If you’re going to be a person of the cloth, it’s best to read the rule book [and] not make up your own,” said one user on X.

Budde’s official bio on the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C. website states: “To that end, Bishop Budde is an advocate and organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation.”

Other social media users highlighted that the bishop’s own personal Instagram page displays a number of posts indicating that she is less interested in Biblical scripture, and more interested in matters pertaining to social justice and the LGBTQ community.

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