On Tuesday, Budde gave a politically charged sermon to Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and their families at the Washington National Cathedral. The church hosts interfaith services on the morning after Inauguration Day, a tradition meant to express unity since 1933. Budde, who is a critic of Trump, used the occasion to tell the president to show “mercy” to those “scared” he was president, as well as to extol the virtues of immigrants.

Five different Christian faith leaders, most of them vocally conservative, expressed their disapproval of Budde and support for Trump in statements to the Washington Examiner.

“For the past four years, the Left has vilified biblically sound pastors for teaching what Scripture says about marriage, gender, and sexuality — accusing them of preaching politics from the pulpit. Yet, on the very first day of Trump’s return to the White House, a woke clergy member hijacks a church service to promote partisan rhetoric, personally attacks the President of the United States, and distorts the truth about illegal immigration,” said pastor Lucas Miles, senior director of TPUSA Faith.

He added that the “so-called pastor” dishonored the president, country, role of the pulpit, and God.

Pastor John Amanchukwu, who has been vocal in his support for Trump in the past, took a harsher tone.

“Many fear a wolf in sheep’s clothing, but there is nothing worse than a wolf in Bishop garments. She’s heretical, diabolical, and should have NEVER had the opportunity to minister in the presence of President Donald J. Trump,” Amanchukwu said.

“Bishop Marian Edgar Budde puts the ‘A’ in apostate!” he added.

Standing for Freedom Center Executive Director Ryan Helfenbein said Budde’s sermon “completely missed the mark” and was a “far greater reflection of the liberal sickness so pervasive in American churches than they are on the American president.”

“As Christians, we have work to do to ensure the Gospel of Jesus Christ is unmistakably clear and that political leftism has no place in God’s pulpit,” he said.

Pastor Jack Brewer said the sermon was an attempt at race-baiting, meant to bring the U.S. “back into the pernicious grips of DEI.”

“The fact that President Trump demanded that God remain as the foundation of America should have received nonpartisan praise from all of our nation’s clergy. We are addressing DEI and wokeness in our government and businesses, and it’s time to address wokeness in churches as well,” he said.

Trump had harsh words for Budde as well, first saying the church “could do much better” when asked about the sermon and then going more in depth in a Truth Social post.

“The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” he said, going on to point out crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

“Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!” Trump concluded.