Donald Trump Calls Bishop ‘Nasty’ for National Prayer Service Remarks

President Donald Trump took a jab at Bishop Mariann Budde for her sermon at the National Prayer Service after Inauguration Day, when she called on him to show “mercy” to immigrants and those in the LGBTQ+ community.

A day after the sermon, Trump, 78, shared a lengthy post on Truth Social in which he wrote off the Episcopal bishop of Washington — who has previously been critical of him — as a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.”

“She brought her church into the world of politics in a very ungracious way,” Trump wrote on Wednesday, Jan. 22. “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,” he continued, repeating a common claim that he made during his 2024 presidential campaign. “Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.”

Trump continued his post by describing Budde’s sermon as a “very boring” and “uninspiring one” and accusing her of being bad at her job.

He concluded: “She and her church owe the public an apology!”

Budde’s sermon came on Tuesday, Jan. 21, during a prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral, which was attended by the newly inaugurated leaders of the United States. In her message, she directed a few words toward the president about fostering an inclusive culture in the U.S. 

“I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” she said. “There are gay, lesbian and transgender people in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives … and the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.”

Trump and the first lady maintained a straight face as Budde spoke, while Vice President J.D. Vance looked over at his wife appearing frustrated.

The reverend also asked the nation’s new leaders “to pray for unity as a people and a nation — not for agreement, political or otherwise — but for the kind of unity that fosters community across diversity and division.”

After the service, Trump told reporters, per a video shared by the AP: “Not too exciting, was it? I didn’t think it was a very good service, no.” He added, “They could do much better.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Budde previously condemned Trump for his role in the deadly Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, sharing on Facebook, per AP: “Let us be perfectly clear — to those who see this as a Christian endeavor, or something to be blessed in the name of Jesus, there is nothing Christian about what we are witnessing today. Nothing.” 

She also criticized Trump for taking part in a performative photo op at St. John’s Episcopal Church during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, and for his “racialized rhetoric” after he told four congresswomen of color to “go back” to where they came from, per an AP report.