Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde says she is outraged after President Donald Trump visited her church on Monday.
She said no advance notice had been given before he arrived at the Episcopal Diocese of Washington to spread what she called “a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus.”
Trump arrived without notice to the Episcopal Diocese of Washington on Monday. A peaceful crowd of protestors was dispersed using rubber bullets, flash grenades, and tear gas as he made his way to the church.
“I am outraged. The President did not pray when he came to St. John’s. Nor, as you just articulated, did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now,” said Budde to CNN’s Anderson Cooper on “AC360.”
“And in particular, that of the people of color in our nation, who wonder if anyone ever — anyone in public power will ever acknowledge their sacred words. Who are rightfully demanding an end to 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy in our country.
“And I just want the world to know, that we in the diocese of Washington, following Jesus and his way of love … we distance ourselves from the incendiary language of this President. We follow someone who lived a life of nonviolence and sacrificial love.
“We align ourselves with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd and countless others,” she continued. “And I just can’t believe what my eyes have seen.”
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President Trump stood at the church surrounded by aides and held up a Bible as he posed for cameras. He remarked, “We have the greatest country in the world,” as he stood in front of the defaced church.
However, Budde criticized Trump’s actions.
“Let me be clear. The President just used a Bible. The most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition and one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus,” she said.
Budde stressed that both Trump’s presence and his response to the protests were unwelcome.
“What I am here to talk about is the abuse of sacred symbols for the people of faith in this country to justify language, rhetoric, an approach to this crisis that is antithetical to everything we stand for,” said Budde.
Trump returned to the White House that evening, where he declared himself to be “your president of law and order.”
“If a city or state refuses to take the actions necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,” said Trump.
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Similarly, the public has widely criticized Trump’s actions in the past. For example, when he left for a two-week golf vacation following a mass shooting. It wasn’t the best time to take advantage of the best suv mileage.
