The woke Episcopal bishop who used her platform to lecture President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday said she will not apologize, denying she is part of the “radical left.”
Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde made waves on Tuesday after using her platform in front of the president to plead for “mercy” for individuals who she said are scared, including LGBTQ individuals and those facing deportation.
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” Budde said.
“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” she asserted before pleading for mercy on those who are in the country illegally as well.
[The] “vast majority of them [illegal immigrants] are not criminals,” she continued:
And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.
When asked by TIME if she would apologize for the lecture, she said, “I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others.”
“I hope that a message calling for dignity, respecting dignity, honesty, humility and kindness is resonating with people. I’m grateful for that,” she said, adding that she is “saddened by the level of vitriol that it has evoked in others, and the intensity of it has been disheartening.”
“I’ve heard from many people who are grateful that someone was willing to speak on their behalf, and also others feeling emboldened to do the same, and I’m grateful for that,” she continued, emphasizing that the “level of attack has been sobering and disheartening.”
When asked if she is “hoping to inspire others to push back against President Trump’s policies,” she said she is — despite the fact that she does not identify as radical left nor a Trump -hater.
“I would love to have people present another alternative, yes, and to bring compassion and breadth into our public discourse,” she said.
“I don’t hate President Trump. I strive not to hate anyone and I dare say that I am not of the ‘radical left’ either, whatever that means. That is not who I am,” she continued, despite the fact that the Washington Post once described her as “unapologetically liberal,”
When pressed by TIME if she feels in “danger,” she once again switched the narrative back to LGBTQ individuals and those who are in the country illegally.
“The real people who are in danger are those who are fearful of being deported. The real people who are in danger are the young people who feel they cannot be themselves and be safe and who are prone to all kinds of both external attacks and suicidal responses to them,” she said, adding, “So I think we should keep our eyes on the people who are really vulnerable in our society.”
Ultimately, she described it as a “pretty mild sermon.”
“It was as respectful and as universal as I could with the exception of making someone who has been entrusted with such enormous influence and power to have mercy on those who are most vulnerable,” Budde told the outlet.
Trump’s immediate response was that the message was that it was “not too exciting,” later following up on Truth Social.
“The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater,” Trump said on Wednesday.
“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” the president continued, noting that Budde conveniently “failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people.”
“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,” he said, concluding that Budde is not very good at her job.
“She and her church owe the public an apology!” he added.
Responding to Trump stating that she is no good at her job, Budde told TIME, “That is for other people to judge, and so he is certainly entitled to his opinion.”
