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Trump disparages church service after bishop asks him to show mercy to immigrants and LGBTQ community

Trump disparages church service after bishop asks him to show mercy to
Donald Trump said he "didn't think it was a good service" after a clergy member directly addressed the president during a sermon on Tuesday, urging him to have "compassion for the people in the country who are afraid," especially immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community.

“Let me offer a final prayer, Mr. President, millions of people have trusted in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the hand of a loving God,” Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde said during the blessing of the National Interfaith Prayer Service in honor of Trump’s inauguration. “In the name of our Lord, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are afraid.”

She said there were "gays, lesbians and transgender people in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives."

The bishop also referred to "the people who pick our produce and clean our offices, who work on poultry farms and wash dishes in their 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."

As he returned to the White House, Trump first answered a question about the service by asking the reporter what they thought.

"Not very exciting, is it?" he said. "I didn't think it was a good service, no. They could do a lot better."

Trump and his family reacted throughout the remarks. When Budde finished, Trump looked at his vice president and said something, to which JD Vance nodded.

Budde is the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. The church's website describes him as an "organizer in support of justice concerns, including racial equality, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people, and care for creation."

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2025-02-15 13:01:41