The bishop who made headlines for publicly lecturing President Donald Trump on her handling of key issues during the National Prayer has launched a media tour to amplify her message and broaden her influence across mainstream media. Now known for her outspoken criticism of the Trump administration, Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, is using her 15 minutes of fame after going viral for begging Trump to have mercy on the LGBTQ community and illegal immigrant workers.
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President," Budde said on Tuesday. "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.”
“And 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 shift 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,” she continued.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde: "The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors...may I ask you to have mercy Mr. President on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away." pic.twitter.com/iXaHJrPsof
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 21, 2025
Trump, alongside other Republicans, was outraged that Budde used the opportunity to berate the president and his incoming agenda. Many accused her of misusing her religious platform and “ranting like a lunatic.”
Hours after the prayer, Budde went on a media frenzy, appearing on all left-wing networks, including CNN, MSNBC, and The View, and gave interviews to the New York Times and NPR.
The View’s Joy Behar told Budde that she appears to have “more fearlessness than anyone in Congress right now,” while MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said the bishop spoke “truth to power.”
At the same time, the NYT claimed that Budde "locked eyes with President Trump and made a heartfelt plea for mercy, " reinstating the ongoing battle over spiritual authority in the United States. The Washington Post and ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce also praised Budde for “confronting” the president—during one of the most inappropriate moments, may I add?
It wasn’t just mainstream news outlets praising Budde. Late-night CBS host Stephen Colbert also weighed in, calling her speech "beautifully said."
Trump labeled Budde as a “radical Left hard-line Trump hater,” adding that the so-called bishop “brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone and not compelling or smart.”
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