President Donald Trump is calling for an apology from a bishop who recently urged him to show compassion towards LGBTQ+ individuals and migrants.
The bishop’s comments, made during Trump’s inauguration, emphasized the importance of mercy and understanding for marginalized communities.
Referencing Trump’s belief that he was saved by God from assassination, the Right Rev. Mariann Budde said, “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.”
In response, Trump, who frequently emphasizes his Christian faith in public discourse, expressed his discontent and demanded that the bishop retract his statements.
After he returned to the White House, according to an Associated Press report, Trump said, “I didn’t think it was a good service” and “they could do much better.” But later, in an overnight post on his social media site, he sharply criticized the “so-called Bishop” as 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,” said Trump, a Republican, adding that Budde didn’t mention that some migrants have come to the United States and killed people.
For about a decade, Trump managed to secure the support of many evangelical and conservative Christians.
Robert Jeffress, pastor of an evangelical megachurch in Dallas, has been a staunch supporter of Trump since his first campaign for president and is sticking by him even as rivals like South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence tout their Christian faith.
“Conservative Christians continue to overwhelmingly support Donald Trump because of his biblical policies, not his personal piety,” Jeffress told The Associated Press via email. “They are smart enough to know the difference between choosing a president and choosing a pastor.”
However, Trump’s critics saw some of his behaviours as un-Christian and often seemed at odds with teachings espoused by Christ in the Gospels.
This included after he was recently found liable for sexually abusing a New York woman in 1996 and was indicted in a criminal case related to hush money payments to a porn actress.
