(L) (L-R) U.S. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and second lady Usha Vance attend the National Prayer Service. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) / (R) Bishop Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde speaks during the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2025. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf 12:29 PM – Wednesday, January 22, 2025
On Tuesday, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde spoke to a large crowd during a traditional inauguration prayer service attended by President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and their family members.
Then, out of nowhere, the female bishop randomly urges Trump to “have mercy” on “gay, lesbian, and transgender children,” prompting confusion — with attendees rolling their eyes and smirking during the unbiblical, politicized message.
“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,” she stated.
Throughout the unprompted speech, Vance could be seen slightly laughing and turning to his wife in disbelief as Budde continued to speak.
Soon after, President Trump responded to the “nasty” speech in a Truth Social post, demanding an apology.
“The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people,” Trump wrote.
“Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!”
The service featured Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu speakers. However, oddly enough, conservative evangelical speakers were not given a speaking slot at the inauguration service.
In addition to Trump, Congressman Mike Collins (R-Ga.) spoke out against Budde’s comments, stating “the person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.”
Trump recently signed an executive order to rid the country of illegal aliens accused of violent crimes following former President Joe Biden’s loose “catch and release” border policies — which resulted in millions of illegals flooding in through the Southern border.
Trump also signed an order directing federal agencies to only recognize two genders, male and female, as well as expelling woke DEI initiatives in order to return to meritocracy as the sole factor in the federal hiring process.
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female,” Trump stated at his inaugural address on Monday.
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