Rev. Mariann Budde said she refuses to apologize to President Donald Trump for her recent remarks, and she issued a new plea to Americans to “speak to one another with respect.” The Episcopal Bishop of Washington said she has been facing a wave of hate for her sermon during Tuesday’s inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral,

Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, is a prominent religious leader who advocates for social justice issues, including immigration and LGBTQ+ rights.

The Episcopal bishop of Washington spoke with NPR to discuss her sermon addressing President Trump and why she asked him to have mercy.

President Donald Trump, left, watches as Rev. Mariann Budde, second right, arrives at the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump,

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde instantly became a topic of national conversation after issuing a heartfelt plea directly to President Donald Trump during a sermon one day after inauguration day. Here’s what to know about the Episcopalian Bishop, the prayer service, and the reaction.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde drew President Trump’s ire Wednesday morning after she used a National Catheral prayer service to issue a call for mercy against members of the LGBTQ and immigrant communities.

President Donald Trump Wednesday demanded an apology from the Episcopal bishop who criticized his hardline policies on immigration and LGBTQ rights at the National Prayer Service on his first full day back in the White House.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for an apology from Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde after she made a direct appeal to him for “mercy” toward LGBT-identified Americans and illegal immigrants during an inaugural prayer service.

The worship service proceeded routinely until a female reverend, reportedly Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde took the podium and delivered what can only be described as a political hit job aimed directly at the President of the United States – a shockingly disrespectful display in what should have been a traditionally non-partisan sermon,

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who campaigned heavily against transgender athletes last year, called Budde a “woke Bishop” in a post on the social media platform X. Moreno, who immigrated to Florida as a child from Colombia, said Budde’s plea for mercy for undocumented immigrants was “insult to all of us who came to this country the right way.”

Mariann Edgar Budde, the bishop who offered a pointed message to President Trump, has been on a media tour in recent days appearing on CNN, MSNBC and "The View."