GOP member wants bishop ‘added to deportation list’ after Trump prayer service
· Yahoo NewsRep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) heavily criticized statements made by the Right Rev. Mariann Budde on Tuesday at the inaugural prayer service held for President Trump.
“The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list,” Collins wrote in a post on the social platform X, alongside a clip of Budde’s comments.
Trump has promised to carry out the largest deportation in the country’s history.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
The former president instituted a plethora of border security laws Monday, including the “Remain in Mexico” program that requires asylum-seekers to stay in Mexico until their U.S. immigration court date, and he shut down the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) One app, which facilitates appointments for immigration proceedings.
During the service, Budde begged for mercy over communities likely to be impacted by Trump’s policies.
Budde said although immigrants in the country without legal status are now facing heightened deportation measures, members of the demographic are “good neighbors.”
“They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors,” she declared.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
“They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues and temples.”
She also highlighted the LGBTQ community earlier in her speech.
During the president’s inaugural speech, he declared the United States would only recognize two genders — male and female — then signed an executive order affirming the directive hours later.
“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,” Budde stated.
Later in the day, President Trump raised issues with the message.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
“Not too exciting, was it? I didn’t think it was a good service, no. Thank you very much. They can do, they can do much better,” he told reporters.
Trump later blasted Budde again in a Truth Social post.
“The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater,” the president wrote.
“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Updated on Jan. 22 at 9:45 a.m. EST
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.