A political cartoon by cartoonist David Cohen uses a clever chess metaphor to praise Bishop Mariann Budde for her viral sermon urging President Donald Trump to "have mercy."
The sermon in question was part of a larger interfaith ceremony at Washington National Cathedral held the day after Trump’s inauguration. Trump sat in the front row alongside First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance, continuing a longstanding presidential tradition.
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During her address, Budde condemned the growing polarization in American politics, highlighting how "contempt fuels social media campaigns" and noting that "many profit" from that division. She spoke after Trump signed approximately 100 executive actions, many of which included policies targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and immigrants.
One sweeping executive order declared that the U.S. government would recognize only two sexes, male and female. Another order aimed to dismantle “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within federal agencies. Additionally, the administration removed LGBTQ resources from government websites, including a page on the State Department's site that had been dedicated to advancing LGBTQ rights globally.
On immigration, Trump enacted a series of executive orders, including measures to end birthright citizenship, halt all refugee admissions, and deploy the military to the southern border.
And on these notes, Budde said, looking directly at Trump:
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families. Some who fear for their lives.”
"They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues."
Trump was later criticized after he took to Truth Social in the middle of the night to attack Budde for calling him out at the National Prayer Service "in a very ungracious way." In response, Budde said that while she doesn't "agree with some of his views of the country and the way - the decisions he makes, but I certainly don't hate him."
Inspired by the controversy, Cohen drew a political cartoon depicting a tall Budde patting a tiny Trump on the head, flicking off his kingly crown in the process as a surly Trump pouts, looking away from her.
The name of the cartoon is a chess metaphor:
"Bishop Takes King."
In chess, the bishop is not stronger than the king. While the king is individually weaker than most other pieces and has limited mobility, it is the most important piece in the game because its capture results in a loss. The king's critical role makes it more powerful than any other piece, including the bishop, despite the bishop’s strength and long-range attacking abilities.
However, as Cohen seemed to suggest, in this instance, the bishop—Budde—had succeeded in putting the king—Trump—in his place.
You can see it below.
David Cohen
The metaphor was an apt one—and people felt it captured the situation perfectly.
Faithful America, a Christian organization advocating for social justice, launched a petition on Wednesday in support of Bishop Budde's sermon. The group described the bishop's actions as "courageous" but recognized that "confronting a man like Trump in a public forum puts a target on your back."
By Sunday morning, the petition had garnered over 47,000 signatures, bringing Faithful America close to its goal of 50,000 supporters.
