Bishop who asked Trump to 'have mercy' on LGBTQ+ people and migrants releases a new message

The Bishop of Washington, who called out Donald Trump regarding his rhetoric surrounding migrants and those in the LGBTQ community, has returned to social media with a new message.

After becoming president, Donald Trump wasted no time in signing off on new executive orders, perhaps most controversially, a policy stating there are 'only two genders' alongside many orders blocking migrants from being able to enter - and remain in - the country.

After this move, Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde decided to call this out during a service held on January 21 at the Washington National Cathedral when Trump was in attendance.

This resulted in a furious backlash on social media by some individuals with others defending the bishop, insisting she had not been unreasonable in her request of ‘mercy’.

Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde issued a 'plea' to President Donald Trump (CBS News)

In her initial 'plea', she said: "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 meat packing plants... they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals."

Following the service, Trump branded it 'not too exciting' and he 'didn't think it was a good service', concluding: "They could do much better."

Bishop Mariann later responded to Trump's comment, telling CNN: "I wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community."

And now, posting on Instagram for the first time since November 2024, she has thanked all those that defended her and encouraged people to be brave, kind and support one another.

In the video, shared yesterday (February 25), Bishop Mariann said: "Hi friends, it is Bishop Mariann here. I stepped away from social media for a time but I wanted to step back in to say thank you.

"I cannot tell you how much it's meant to me to receive the letters and phone calls and notes and gifts and expressions of gratitude, support and encouragement

"I am persuaded that there is a spirit of love and goodness in this land that flows through all of us and now is a time for us to stand together, to take courage from one another and learn together how we are to be brave now and hold on to the things that are good about us and about our country.

In her new message, the bishop sat in front of a pile of fan mail she had received (Instagram/@mariannbudde)

"We can do this especially when we remember that we are never alone and that when one of us falters we are hundred others that are standing strong.

"Sometimes we stand strong for the sake of those that can’t and that together God will work through us to bring about the kind of society, the kind of community that we all deserve and that we want to pass on to those who come after us.

"Take good care, have courage and remember together we can all be brave."

The caption of Bishop Mariann's post told her followers there was 'more to come'.