Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, who called on President Donald Trump to "have mercy" for immigrants and LGBTQ children during a prayer service following the inauguration, told ABC’s "The View" on Wednesday that she would gladly sit down to talk with Trump about her sermon.
Budde, during the service on Tuesday attended by Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance asked Trump directly to "have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now."
She went on to say that the vast majority of immigrants, even those who lack legal status to reside in the U.S., are "not criminals" and added, "There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives."
On Wednesday, Budde told "The View" that she "wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being, basic honesty and humility" in her sermon.
"And then I also realized that unity requires a certain degree of mercy — mercy, and compassion and understanding," she added.
Budde said that she thought it was her responsibility to use her position "to pray with the nation for unity."
She added, "So, knowing that a lot of people, as I said, in our country right now are really scared, I wanted to take the opportunity in the context of that service for unity to say we need to treat everyone with dignity, and we need to be merciful."
Budde said, "I was trying to counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarizing and in which people, real people, are being harmed."
Trump criticized Budde following the sermon, which he called "nasty in tone," saying that she "is bad at her job" and that she and her church, the Episcopal Diocese of Washington of which she is the spiritual leader, "owe the public an apology."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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