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Who Is Mariann Edgar Budde, the Bishop Who Urged Trump to Show Compassion?

Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Mariann Edgar Budde, called on Donald Trump to show compassion towards marginalized groups,

Who Is Mariann Edgar Budde, the Bishop Who Urged Trump to Show Compassion?

including LGBTQ+ children and undocumented immigrants, during his inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral on Monday.

In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now, Bishop Budde urged. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in families across political lines—Democratic, Republican, and Independent. Some of them fear for their lives.

President Trump, seated alongside First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance, dismissed the service as unimpressive.

Who is Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde?

  • • Bishop Budde grew up in New Jersey and Colorado and holds a BA in history from the University of Rochester. She also earned a Master of Divinity (1989) and a Doctor of Ministry (2008) from Virginia Theological Seminary.

  • • She served as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis for 18 years before becoming the first woman to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Washington in 2011, overseeing 86 congregations, ten Episcopal schools, and the National Cathedral.

  • • As chair of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, she guides the ministries of the Washington National Cathedral and its schools.

  • • Known for her advocacy on issues such as gun violence prevention, racial equality, immigration reform, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and environmental care, Bishop Budde is also a wife, mother of two, and grandmother.

On his first day as the 47th President, Trump signed several executive orders, including measures restricting transgender rights, tightening immigration policies, and eliminating birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizens.

This is not the first time Bishop Budde has spoken out against Trump. In 2020, she publicly criticized his use of the Bible as a political prop at St. John’s Church following the clearing of racial justice protesters with tear gas. In a New York Times op-ed, she condemned his actions, stating he misused sacred symbols to promote views that contradicted biblical teachings.

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