Bishop Urges Trump To 'Have Mercy' In Powerful Plea During Inauguration Prayer Service

As part of the inauguration of Donald Trump, the newly sworn-in President and Vice President attended a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. where Episcopal prelate Mariann Edgar Budde, who has served as the Bishop of Washington since 2011, delivered a stark message for Trump from the pulpit.

During Bishop Budde's sermon, she had a message for POTUS who was seated in the first pew. Trump didn't look pleased while his Vice President, JD Vance, looked increasingly uncomfortable.

You can watch her remarks below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

She said:

"Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God."

"In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now."

Bishop Budde elaborated:

"There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families—some who fear for their lives."

Bishop Budde then made a plea for the immigrants the MAGA President has scapegoated for years.

"The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals—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, gurdwara, and temples."

"I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear 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 concluded by stating:

"Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land."

"May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God, for the good of all people — the good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen."

People appreciated Bishop Budde's candor—even if Trump didn't.

When asked for his thoughts after the service, Trump told reporters it was:

"Not too exciting. They could do much better."

Bishop Budde has been critical of Trump before.

In 2020, when Trump used tear gas to disperse Black Lives Matter demonstraters so he could stage a photo op with a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal church, Bishop Budde stated Trump's actions were "antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and to the God of justice."