Woke bishop who lectured Trump on 'mercy' tells The View she had 'responsibility' to speak on 'unity'

Episcopal Bishop of DC The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde appeared on The View Wednesday morning, one day after delivering a sermon at the National Prayer Breakfast that was criticized by President Donald Trump for bringing her church "into the World of politics in a very ungracious way."

Budde told co-host Joy Behar, who said that Budde had "more fearlessness than anyone in Congress right now," that her "responsibility that morning, yesterday morning, was to reflect, to pray with the nation for unity.

"And as I was pondering what are the foundations of unity," she went on, "I, you know, I wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being, basic honesty and humility."

Budde said that unity also "requires a certain degree" of "mercy and compassion and understanding."

"So knowing that a lot of people, as I said, in our country right now are really scared, I wanted to take the opportunity in the context of that service for unity to say we need to treat everyone with dignity and we need to be merciful," she said, adding that she was "trying to counter the narrative that is so divisive and polarizing in which people, real people, are being harmed."

Co-host Ana Navarro chimed in, telling Budde, "I was struck by your tone. You were so gentle. You were so respectful. You were very demure, very mindful," quoting trans TikTok influencer Jools LeBron.

During the service at the National Cathedral on Tuesday morning, Budde said, "Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you 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. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, 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 neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara, and temples."

"I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away. And that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here," Budde continued. "Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. 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 to walk humbly with one another and our God for the good of all people, for the good of all people in this nation and the world." 

In response to her sermon, Trump wrote in the early hours of Wednesday morning,  "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!"