Bishop Who Criticized Trump Steps Down After Extra 2 Years
Episcopal Bishop Budde resigns after 17 years, citing national issues and political climate.
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Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal prelate whom President Donald Trump labeled a ‘Radical Left hard line Trump hater,’ is preparing to step down from her position, but not before extending her tenure by two years. Budde announced her resignation on October 1, stating she would remain in the role until a successor is consecrated on June 3, 2028, following an election set for January 29, 2028.
She described her departure as a resignation, not retirement, because Episcopal bishops retain the title after leaving office. Budde plans to return to Minnesota to be near her grandchildren. Originally set to serve 15 years, she extended her tenure to 17, citing the importance of the country’s political climate.
Budde explained, ‘It persuaded me to stay longer because so many people in our immediate area were adversely affected, including many in my congregations—you know, from job losses and budget cuts, and certainly immigration policy.’ She emphasized the need to stay to help the country make a ‘course correction’ and send a ‘strong signal’ about its direction.
Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the “radical” Washington cleric who famously used President Donald Trump’s inaugural prayer service to lecture him from the pulpit, is preparing to leave her powerful post after what will be roughly 17 years in office.
Amid her tenure, Budde became a prominent figure in political discourse. On January 21, 2025, she delivered a sermon at the National Prayer Service, which Trump attended. Budde turned the event into a political lecture, urging ‘mercy’ for ‘gay, lesbian, and transgender children’ and ‘the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings.’ She criticized Trump’s immigration policies, calling for compassion for immigrant families.
Trump responded on Truth Social, calling Budde a ‘Radical Left hard line Trump hater’ and criticizing her for bringing her church into politics ‘in a very ungracious way.’ He also called her sermon ‘boring and uninspiring’ and accused her of not being ‘very good at her job.’
Budde did not apologize for her remarks, later defending her sermon on The View, calling it ‘a truth’ that needed to be spoken. Her advocacy extended beyond religious teachings, with her son Amos Budde having previously worked for Obama for America.
Additionally, the sermon coincided with reports of her church receiving taxpayer funds for immigration-related programs. In February 2025, it was revealed that Episcopal Migration Ministries, tied to Budde’s church, had received approximately $53 million in taxpayer funds while she was delivering her message of compassion for undocumented immigrants.
Budde’s tenure has been marked by clashes with Trump, including her condemnation of the clearing of Lafayette Square during the 2020 protests and her criticism of Trump for using sacred symbols in political contexts. She was elected in 2011 and became the first woman to lead the Diocese of Washington, overseeing 86 congregations in D.C. and parts of Maryland.
She also presided over the interment of Matthew Shepard’s ashes at the National Cathedral and delivered a benediction at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Budde has stated she will continue her religious advocacy until she leaves, aiming to ‘leave well’ so her successor can inherit ‘as much wind in the sails’ as possible.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
