WASHINGTON (AP) — The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Diocese of Washington, said Wednesday that she will continue to pray for President Donald Trump, hours after he lashed out at her over a sermon. “I don’t consider him an enemy,” Budde told The Associated Press.

Trump's reaction is another example of his administration being at odds with prominent religious leaders over his stance on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights.

The president may not have approved of Mariann Edgar Budde's homily at the National Cathedral. But the bishop answered to a higher moral calling.

While Trump is a dominant political force among evangelical and conservative Christians, he has faced criticism from the Pope, the former Archbishop of Canterbury in the U.K. and progressive mainline protestants in the U.S over a range of issues.

The bishop who publicly urged Donald Trump to “have mercy” on immigrants and LGBTQ people – and was dismissed as “a Radical Left hard line Trump hater” by the president – responded with an appearance,

President Donald Trump, left, watches as Rev. Mariann Budde, second right, arrives at the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump,

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 LGBTQ+ people

Mariann Budde, 65, is the Episcopalian bishop who confronted Trump during the National Prayer Service. Trump and Vice President JD Vance were in attendance as part of their first full day in the Oval Office.

President Donald Trump has demanded a public apology from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde following her sermon at the National Prayer Service held on January 21 at the Washington National Cathedral. Trump labeled the bishop as "nasty" and a "radical left" figure after she made a plea for mercy toward the LGBTQ+ community and undocumented migrants.

President Biden in 2022 announced Admiral Linda Fagan as the new commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard making her the first woman to lead a branch of the U.S. military. President Trump's administration has now fired Fagan.

The people who are in danger are the people who fear for their lives and their livelihoods,’ Budde said in an interview. ‘That’s where the focus should be.’