The day after President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, he sat through a supposed religious service that devolved into one Episcopal bishop’s tirade against much of the MAGA movement.
Trump admonished Mariann Edgar Budde after the service ended and again in a social media post seeking an apology on behalf of the American people.
Budde later responded to the backlash by essentially claiming the current political climate forced her to make such patently divisive statements from the pulpit.
As Breitbart reported:
When asked about her comments, Budde said, “I wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being, basic honesty and humility.”
She added, “What I said and I mean, how could it not be politicized? We’re in a hyper-political climate. One of the things I caution about is the culture of contempt in which we live that immediately rushes to the worst possible interpretations of what people are saying and to put them in categories such as the ones you just described. That’s part of the air we breathe now. I was trying to speak a truth that I felt needed to be said, but to do it as respectful and kind a way as I could. Also to bring other voices into the conversation, which voices that had not been heard in the public space for some time.”
Budde has been roundly rebuked online by those who felt she misused her position to score some partisan points with her far-left D.C. congregation.
Pastor Lorenzo Sewell was put down by leftists for his optimistic prayer, yet Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde talks about trans kids & illegals, and is being proclaimed by the same people as stunning and brave? pic.twitter.com/NEU2OwcvWX
— Shaughn_A (@Shaughn_A2) January 21, 2025
She could have shared her feelings with Trump privately. Religion should not be used for partisan political activities.
— TC (@caltract) January 21, 2025
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She's the first woman to hold the position.
She was given a great honor today, a chance to unify America around a Christian message at the dawn of a new administration. Instead, she disgraced… pic.twitter.com/IFA6a3nZno
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 21, 2025
Her response to the controversy came during Wednesday’s episode of ABC’s “The View,” and The Hill provided additional excerpts from her remarks:
Later, Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post that Budde “is bad at her job” and called her service “uninspiring,” “nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.” She and her church, he wrote, “owe the public an apology.”
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!