Bishop Urges Trump to Show Mercy for Migrants and LGBTQ+ During Prayer Service
On his second day as President of the United States, Donald Trump faced a pointed appeal from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde during a traditional prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. The sermon, delivered on January 21, 2025, urged the newly inaugurated president to extend compassion to vulnerable groups, including migrants and LGBTQ+ individuals, in a moment that underscored the tension between Trump’s policies and progressive calls for inclusivity.
1/22/20251 min read
On the morning of January 21, 2025, just one day after his second inauguration, President Donald Trump attended the traditional prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. What he received was not a simple blessing, but a pointed and public appeal from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde.
The Sermon's Core Message
Bishop Budde used the influential platform to deliver a clear message that underscored the tension between the new administration's stated policies and the progressive ideal of inclusivity. Her sermon was a direct call to the President to prioritize and extend compassion and dignity to the nation's most vulnerable populations.
Specifically, the Bishop named groups who had often been targets of rhetoric or policy proposals during the President's previous term and campaign:
Migrants and those seeking asylum.
LGBTQ+ individuals.
The poor and the marginalized.
She urged the President to govern with an inclusive spirit, one that recognizes the shared humanity of all people, regardless of their background or identity.
A Moment of Tension
This moment at the Cathedral served as a stark public display of the deep division in American life and politics. The traditional post-inauguration service is intended as a unifying event, but Bishop Budde's sermon turned it into a reminder of the moral and ethical challenges facing the new presidency. It was a potent message from a leading faith figure, holding the newly elected leader accountable to a moral standard of care for the 'least of these', setting a clear and challenging tone for the four years to come.
On the morning of January 21, 2025, just one day after his second inauguration, President Donald Trump attended the traditional prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. What he received was not a simple blessing, but a pointed and public appeal from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde.
The Sermon's Core Message
Bishop Budde used the influential platform to deliver a clear message that underscored the tension between the new administration's stated policies and the progressive ideal of inclusivity. Her sermon was a direct call to the President to prioritize and extend compassion and dignity to the nation's most vulnerable populations.
Specifically, the Bishop named groups who had often been targets of rhetoric or policy proposals during the President's previous term and campaign:
Migrants and those seeking asylum.
LGBTQ+ individuals.
The poor and the marginalized.
She urged the President to govern with an inclusive spirit, one that recognizes the shared humanity of all people, regardless of their background or identity.
A Moment of Tension
This moment at the Cathedral served as a stark public display of the deep division in American life and politics. The traditional post-inauguration service is intended as a unifying event, but Bishop Budde's sermon turned it into a reminder of the moral and ethical challenges facing the new presidency. It was a potent message from a leading faith figure, holding the newly elected leader accountable to a moral standard of care for the 'least of these', setting a clear and challenging tone for the four years to come.