Gay Trump Nominee Scott Bessent Demands Bishop’s Apology
The Treasury Secretary nominee blasted Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde for a sermon begging Trump to show "mercy" to transgender children.
Scott Bessent is in a snit.
Donald Trump’s gay nominee to be the next U.S. Secretary of the Treasury is demanding — demanding — an apology from Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde for asking Trump to show compassion and mercy as the nation’s president.
The Episcopal Bishop gave a sermon during the Inaugural Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, January 21.
During her remarks, Budde implored Trump to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” referring specifically to gay, lesbian, and transgender children, some of whom she said “fear for their lives.”
She also asked for mercy for undocumented immigrants, their American-born children, and refugees fleeing war and persecution abroad who are seeking asylum in the U.S.
Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and members of their families visibly reacted negatively to the sermon in real-time.
Later, Trump took to Truth Social, his personal social media platform, to disparage and insult Budde.
“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 was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart…. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!”
Bessent also demanded Budde apologize for her words, sending a statement to Miranda Devine, a columnist for The New York Post, decrying Budde’s behavior. Devine eagerly posted it to her X account and later quoted in her column.
Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent is rightfully incensed about woke bishop Budde’s disrespect towards President Trump and his family.
Branding her a selfish elitist, he demanded an apology in this exclusive letter to the @nypost pic.twitter.com/DEKt7968a4— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) January 22, 2025
Bessent said Budde “chose selfishly to steal the spotlight and air her personal litany of political grievances at a joyous event.” He implied she was hypocritical for decrying the “outrage industrial complex” only to later appear on CNN and defend her remarks.
“Bishop Budde proved herself to be a narrow-minded, out-of-touch elitist with little regard for facts,” Bessent whined. “She regurgitated the tired trope of the fears of the LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities.
“On November 5th, President Trump received record support from the gay and lesbian community and shattered voting records with Hispanic voters,” Bessent added.
[💣 Truth Bomb: LGBTQ voters were the only group whose support for Trump dropped from four years ago, when he lost to former President Joe Biden, according to an NBC News exit poll.]
“The Bishop showed no empathy to the American citizens who have seen their communities overrun, their children die from cross-border drugs, and their wages crushed by illegal immigration,” Bessent persisted.
Bessent claimed Trump “is devoid of prejudice when it comes to sexual preference,” citing his own nomination as evidence.
“With senior representatives like Bishop Budde, it is not difficult to see why the Episcopal Church has lost members at a faster rate than any other denomination,” he ranted.
Bessent demanded — again, with the demanding — the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church publicly condemn Budde, adding that if it doesn’t, the Inaugural Prayer Service should be moved from the National Cathedral.
“Whether Bishop Budde asks God for forgiveness is her business, but she owes President Trump and the American people an apology,” he concluded.
Budde later gave interviews to several news outlets interested in what they saw as a swipe at Trump.
Speaking to CNN‘s Erin Burnett, Budde said that she was “reminding us all that in the people that are frightened in our country, the two groups of people that I mentioned are our fellow human beings, and that they have been portrayed in all throughout the political campaign, in the harshest of lights.”
She stressed that she “wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community. And I was speaking to the president because I felt that he has this moment now where he feels charged and empowered to do what he feels called to do. And I wanted to say, you know, there is room for mercy. There’s room for a broader compassion.”
Appearing on ABC’s The View, Budde said she wanted to communicate the notion that, in order to achieve unity, there needs to be respect for people’s honor and dignity, as well as “basic honesty and humility.”
When asked about criticisms from conservatives accusing her of politicizing the prayer service, Budde responded, “I was trying to speak a truth that I felt needed to be said, but to do it in as respectful and kind a way as I could. And also to bring other voices into the conversation that had not been heard for some time.”
Budde said she would welcome a one-on-one meeting with Trump, adding that any invitation to meet “would have to come from him.”
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