Georgia Congressman Mike Collins recently called for the deportation of Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde after she urged President Donald Trump to show mercy toward LGBTQ+ people and immigrants during a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2025.
Collins shared a clip of the service on social media, suggesting that Bishop Budde should be “added to the deportation list.” This comment came just a day after Trump signed multiple executive orders on immigration. However, it’s important to note that Bishop Budde, who was born in New Jersey, is a U.S. citizen, making deportation impossible.
Bishop Budde’s sermon, delivered at the National Prayer Service, called for compassion toward vulnerable groups. She asked President Trump to show mercy to LGBTQ+ children, immigrants, and others who fear for their safety. “There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in every community, some who fear for their lives,” she said, emphasizing that most immigrants are not criminals. Budde urged Trump to consider the plight of families separated by immigration policies and those fleeing war and persecution.
In response to her remarks, Trump criticized the service, describing it as “not too exciting” and suggesting that it could have been better. He also took to social media to attack Budde, calling her a “Radical Left” figure and demanding an apology from her and her church for the “nasty” tone of her sermon.
Other members of the Republican Party also criticized Budde’s message. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama expressed his disbelief that a bishop would speak out against Trump after he had recently talked about God. Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham also defended Trump, accusing Budde of using the prayer service to push her political agenda.
Budde responded to the backlash in an interview, explaining that her message was meant to remind people of the fear experienced by marginalized groups. She reiterated that the people she mentioned in her sermon, including LGBTQ+ individuals and immigrants, are fellow human beings who deserve compassion.
This isn’t the first time Bishop Budde has spoken out against Trump. In 2020, she condemned the use of tear gas against protesters at St. John’s Episcopal Church, which Trump used for a controversial photo op.
