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Watch a bishop scold Donald Trump about attacks on LGBTQ+ and immigrants during inaugural prayer service

Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde Diocese of Washington leads Democratic members of the House of Representatives in prayer

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Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington leads Democratic members of the House of Representatives in prayer while marking one million American deaths from the coronavirus on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol May 12, 2022 in Washington, D.C.

“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde told the president.

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During an inaugural prayer service steeped in presidential tradition at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde delivered a stirring sermon that rebuked President Donald Trump’s policies and actions, particularly those targeting marginalized communities like immigrants and LGBTQ+ Americans.

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“Mr. President, millions have put their trust in you,” Budde said, addressing Trump directly from the pulpit. “And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”

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Budde’s sermon highlighted the fears and struggles faced by LGBTQ+ youth and immigrant families under Trump’s policies. “There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” she said. She also urged compassion for immigrants, adding, “The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwaras, and temples.”

Trump and his family sat as the bishop spoke, with Vice President JD Vance shifting around in his seat and looking around as Budde addressed the audience.

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Her remarks came just hours after Trump signed a flurry of executive orders, including one eliminating federal recognition of transgender and nonbinary identities. The sweeping measure, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” has sparked widespread backlash for erasing gender-expansive Americans from federal policy and stripping protections against discrimination.

Related: Donald Trump’s government declares that transgender and nonbinary people don’t exist

Trump, who returned to the White House after the service, appeared dismissive when reporters asked about Budde’s sermon. “What did you think? Did you like it? Find it exciting? Was not too exciting, was it?” he quipped.

The sermon took place against the backdrop of an increasingly polarized nation and escalating attacks on LGBTQ+ rights from the new Trump administration already even only a day after the inauguration. The president’s anti-trans and anti-nonbinary executive order has far-reaching implications, including requiring federal agencies to redefine sex as binary, restricting access to gender-affirming care, and rolling back protections in schools and workplaces.

Lambda Legal has already vowed to challenge the administration’s executive orders in court, with CEO Kevin Jennings promising, “Our community will not be erased, and Lambda Legal will never stop fighting for justice.” Other groups have also spoken out.

Budde has previously criticized Trump’s actions — including his controversial photo op at St. John’s Episcopal Church in 2020 when law enforcement officials used force against peaceful protesters to clear them from the area — and urged the president and the nation to embrace dignity, honesty, and humility as the foundations of unity. “The culture of contempt that has become normalized in this country threatens to destroy us,” she warned. “Unity is not partisan. Rather, unity is a way of being with one another that encompasses and respects our differences.”

In her closing remarks, Budde called for leadership rooted in compassion and justice. “May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people,” she said.

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