President Donald Trump fired back at a bishop who spoke out during a prayer service for his inauguration, calling her comments “nasty” and “not smart.” The bishop, Mariann Edgar Budde, had asked Trump to show mercy toward transgender children and immigrant families, but Trump wasn’t having it.
In a post on Truth Social early Wednesday, Trump didn’t hold back. He described Budde as a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater” and accused her of dragging her church into politics in an “ungracious way.”
“The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” Trump wrote. “She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.”
Trump added that, aside from her comments, the service itself was “boring and uninspiring.”
He didn’t stop there. Trump called for Budde and her church to apologize.
“She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!” he demanded.
Earlier that day, during the service, Bishop Budde spoke directly to Trump, who was sitting in the front row. She asked him to have mercy on the vulnerable people in America.
“I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared,” Budde said. “There are gay, lesbian, transgender children, Democratic, Republican, independent families — some who fear for their lives.”
Budde also reminded Trump that most immigrants are not criminals, and said people in the U.S. are worried about their families being separated.
“These migrant workers pay taxes. They are faithful members of our churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples,” she said. “Their children fear their parents are going to be taken away.”
Budde also urged Trump to help people fleeing from war zones and other dangerous situations.
When Trump returned to the White House after the service, he told reporters it “wasn’t too exciting,” adding, “They can do much better.”
This came after Trump signed a series of executive orders on Monday, including one that defined gender as only male and female, and another that targeted immigrants.
