“You feel the protecting hand of a merciful God. In God’s name, I ask you to have mercy on the people of our country who are now in fear. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. Mr. President, I ask you to have mercy on those who fear that their parents will be taken away from them. "
The first person this year who dared to openly and directly question Trump was a woman.
On Tuesday, January 21st, 2025, U.S. time, on his first day after officially taking office, Trump came to the Washington National Cathedral and participated in the national prayer ceremony hosted by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde. This is also in accordance with the tradition since Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933. President Trump and Vice President Vance, together with their families, cabinet members and other dignitaries, participated in the interfaith "Prayer for the Nation" ceremony.
However, it is unexpected that Trump, his family members and Vice President Vance, a high-profile group, were confronted with "challenges" or explicit doubts for the first time in this ceremony.
Mariann Edgar Budde, 64, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, was ordained the ninth Bishop of Washington on November 12th, 2011, at the Washington National Cathedral. She is the first female bishop of the Diocese of Washington.
In a sermon that lasted about 20 minutes, Budde emphasized the importance of unity and the need to move away from "the culture of contempt that has been normalized in this country," which she called "troubling". "Contempt fuels political movements and social media, and many people benefit from it," she said, adding: "This is a dangerous way to lead a country."
After Budde's public appeal was reported, more and more people felt inspired. One person commented:
"Wow. A bishop just called out Trump and Vance in church."
"This is one of the most profound videos I've seen in a while. In a world where we find very few people willing to stand up in front of Trump and tell him things that would make him angry, this bishop is a Rock star."
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde used the courage of her faith to speak awe-inspiring words in Trump’s presence. Take away the dogma of man-made religions, and kindness is all that remains—and that’s exactly what Bishop Budde embodies.
