I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country. We’re scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives. President Trump is calling on the Episcopal bishop of Washington. Trump demands apology from bishop for those remarks, asking her to apologize to the American people. The Reverend Marion Edgar Body delivered that plea to the president at Tuesday’s National Cathedral Prayer service.
As Trump looked on, she also pleaded for mercy for immigrants. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away after the service. Trump voiced his displeasure with her. Not too excited. I didn’t think it was a good service. They could do much better. Shortly after midnight, the president escalated his criticism of the bishop with this Truth Social post: “The so-called bishop, who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning, was a radical, left hardline 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.” Trump goes on to say Reverend Body owes the public an apology. Trump demands apology from bishop for politicizing the church.
Joining our panel is former chief of staff to DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, former regional comms director for Biden in 2020, Stephen Collinson. The big picture here: the reverend, the bishop, Buddy, using the pulpit to make this plea for mercy. And of course, Trump’s response—what does it all say to you? Well, Trump has been feted by internet billionaires, foreign leaders, and his entire party for like, two days during this whole inaugural ceremony. That was the first time that he’s seen any kind of dissent at all. I think it’s a reminder that there is opposition and fear to what Trump is doing. In the interest of balance, to his point that the bishop had pulled the church into politics, I did think that some of the speakers, some of the preachers at the inaugural ceremony were quite politicized as well. So it’s not just coming from one side, but I think the president is going to get quite a limited amount of pushback publicly just because of the way these presidential events work. Trump demands apology from bishop for using the pulpit to voice political opinions.
So it was very interesting whether that will be a rallying point for opposition, which we haven’t seen this time around. We’ll have to wait and see. You know, sorry, we just got to get off this fantasy that members of the clergy are not political. Look at Franklin Graham’s remarks from the inauguration. With Joe Biden sitting there, watching on, talking about the dark times of the last several years and how Donald Trump was sent here by God. The point is, it had political undertones too, and it happens all the time. It should not shock anybody. The Pope recently weighed in on deportations. Many people have their views about this particular pope, but just this idea that we ought to be so shocked every time somebody is on a pulpit and says something political is just sort of silly.
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