Bishop Mariann Budde arrives at the National Prayer Service as Donald Trump looks on
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

‘We’re bringing back religion’: Trump claims he’s bringing religion ‘back’ after attacking bishop for preaching about mercy

Days after attacking Bishop Mariann Budde for preaching about mercy, Donald Trump claims he’s “bringing back religion” in America.

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Since his first administration, Trump has heavily relied on the Christian right for support. He has made bold promises and claims about defeating the so-called “war on Christmas” and preserving Christianity from supposed attacks from the “radical left.” Religious individuals have even tried to compare Trump to Biblical figures, from Moses to Jesus himself. Over the years, there has been more than a little speculation that Trump isn’t as religious as he claims, given evidence that his religion changes depending on what is best for his agenda or his favorite Bible verse fails despite calling the Bible one of his favorite books. However, Americans have never had as big a glimpse into his true thoughts on religion and Christian values until the National Prayer Service.

As part of his inauguration, Trump and his Vice President, J. D. Vance, attended a sermon led by Budde. During the service, she asked Trump to show mercy to America’s children and the most vulnerable. Requests for mercy shouldn’t offend anyone, much less someone who proclaims to be religious. However, Trump was deeply offended. His response strongly paralleled the rage that genocidal dictator Ante Pavelić expressed when told, “Thou shalt not kill.” Trump attacked Budde’s title and intelligence while demanding an apology. Days later, though, he suddenly proclaimed he was back on the side of religion.

Donald Trump hypocritically promises to bring back religion

Recently, Trump spoke at a rally in Las Vegas, where he claimed his administration was bringing back many things to America, including “free speech,” “a merit-based world,” and “religion.” Most will notice that these were things that never went away or, perhaps, in the case of a solely “merit-based” workplace, that America never had to begin with and likely can’t attain in a capitalistic society. Given his rage after the National Prayer Service, though, the mention of religion caught listeners’ attention. Trump claimed that America would be “admired” and “respected” again, including “by the people of religion, faith, and goodwill.” He took the sentiment a step further, promising, “We’re bringing back religion in this country.”

Again, this wouldn’t be the first time Trump has promised to “bring back” religion or Christ to America. However, it’s the first time he’s made such a promise immediately after attempting to silence a religious leader. Republicans against Trump offered this translation of his promise, “We’re bringing back religion in this country (Except when a bishop preaches compassion—I attack her as the so-called bishop).” Indeed, in his Truth Social rant, he claimed that Budde wasn’t a real bishop because she preached mercy. He suggested that, in order to be a real religious leader, she should’ve filled her sermon with anti-immigration rhetoric and politics.

Needless to say, it seems quite hypocritical to claim to be bringing religion back while simultaneously demanding religious leader apologize for preaching about their religious beliefs. It’s quite similar to how he promises to bring back free speech even as he launches legal attacks and threats on the media, and social media allegedly uses algorithms and censorship to push Trump propaganda. When Trump says he wants to bring back “religion,” he means only a very narrow form of religion that preaches the opposite of mercy, love, and compassion. As X user @TeaPainUSA put it, “The only acceptable religion in MAGAmerica is the worship of the golden a**.” Trump isn’t going to “bring back” religion. In fact, his attack on Budde suggests that he’s going to do the opposite and suppress religion in America unless it adheres to his agenda.


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Rachel Ulatowski
Rachel Ulatowski is a Staff Writer for The Mary Sue, who frequently covers DC, Marvel, Star Wars, literature, and celebrity news. She has over three years of experience in the digital media and entertainment industry, and her works can also be found on Screen Rant, JustWatch, and Tell-Tale TV. She enjoys running, reading, snarking on YouTube personalities, and working on her future novel when she's not writing professionally. You can find more of her writing on Twitter at @RachelUlatowski.