This is the heartbreaking moment a pastor asked Donald Trump to “have mercy” on migrants and transgender children – only to be met with shrugs and irreverence from the president.
Trump attended the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC on January 21st, a day after he was sworn in as president and preceded to pass a flurry of executive actions targeting transgender Americans and immigrants in the country illegally.
The president declared the federal government recognises only male and female as the only gender, reversing protections for transgender people put in place under former President Joe Biden.
He also declared a national emergency at the southern border and ordered the US armed forces to repel “forms of invasion” at the US-Mexico border as well as moving to end birthright citizenship despite questions about whether doing so is constitutional.
In Washington, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde gave a sermon at the National Cathedral as Trump and Vice President JD Vance watched alongside their families.
She said: “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 said, later telling Trump of immigrants, “Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.”
Trump could be seen shrugging as she made the plea.
Asked about the sermon after returning to the White House, he said, “Was not too exciting, was it?”
“They could do much better.”
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