Mariann Edgar Budde, The Episcopal Bishop of Washington, has appealed to President Donald Trump for mercy on LGBT and migrants a direct contrast to Trumps his stance on the issues.
Budde was one of the invited ministers for the President’s inaugural prayer sermon held at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday.
Speaking from the pulpit, the Bishop appealed directly to Trump who sat stone-faced in the front row, alongside Melania Trump and his Vice, JD Vance saying LGBTQ are present in families across the United States.
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, transgender children in Democratic, Republic and Independent families, some who fear for their lives,’’ she said.
Read also: Donald Trump: A Historic Comeback and the Pursuit of American Renewal
She spoke highly of immigrants who she said are responsible for menial jobs across the country and equally pay taxes to the government.
“And the people who pick our crops and clean our office building , who labour in our poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospital 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 neighbours. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques,” she said.
Meanwhile, Trump has reacted to the appeal by the Bishop on his social media platform Truth and deeply criticised Budde for her approach. “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard-line Trump hater.
“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart” “She 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.
“She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
