Bishop calls on Trump to ‘have mercy’ on migrants and LGBTQ+ people

In an inaugural prayer service sermon, the Episcopal bishop of Washington appealed directly to Donald Trump to “have mercy upon” communities across the country targeted by the new administration’s immigration and LGBTQ+ policies.

Speaking from the pulpit at the Washington national cathedral, the Right Rev Mariann Budde delivered her sermon – and an impassioned plea – as Trump sat stone-faced in the front row, alongside Melania Trump and JD Vance. Asked later about the service, Trump told reporters it was “not too exciting”.

“I didn’t think it was a good service, no,” he said as he walked into the White House on Tuesday. “They could do much better.”

The sermon was part of a larger interfaith prayer service, a post-inauguration day tradition hosted by the Washington national cathedral and attended by presidents of both parties at the start of their term. Tuesday morning’s service was filled with blessing and prayers for the success of the new administration, but took a sharper, more political turn when Budde rose to deliver the homily.

“You have felt the providential hand of a loving God,” she said, an apparent reference to Trump’s inaugural address, in which he declared that God had saved him from an assassin’s bullet to “make America great again”. She continued: “In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now.”

Budde’s sermon amounted to a bold public criticism of the new president, who spent his first hours in office signing executive orders rolling back Biden-era protections for transgender Americans and laying the groundwork to carry out his promise of mass deportations. One executive order directed the federal government to recognize only “two sexes – male and female” while his immigration directives moved to dismantle birthright citizenship, send troops to the southern border and suspend the US refugee admissions program.

“There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in both Democratic, Republican and independent families who fear for their lives,” Budde said, asking his administration to show compassion.

She also spoke of immigrants – those who “pick our crops” and “work the night shift in hospitals” – but “may not be citizens or have the proper documentation”.

“The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes, and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches, mosques and synagogues, gurdwara and temples,” she said, adding: “Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were once strangers in this land.”

When Budde finished her sermon, Trump turned and said something to Vance, who responded with a shake of his head.

Budde has clashed with Trump before, during his first term in office. In 2020, she expressed outrage over Trump’s appearance in front of St John’s Epsicopal church in Washington, where he held up a Bible after federal officers had used force to clear peaceful protesters demonstrating over the death of George Floyd in 2020.

Trump allies have already begun to attack Budde over her comments. Georgia congressman Mike Collins said Budde, a US citizen, “should be added to the deportation list” for her words criticizing the president. Trump has vowed as president to protect Americans’ free speech.