EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Budde on Trump, her sermon and how religion can’t be separated from politics

The bishop who asked President Trump to “have mercy” to immigrants and transgender teenagers says politics and faith can’t be separated, but she’s not trying to be the face of a new resistance movement to the GOP.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, in an interview with The Hill at her residence on Monday, was still taking stock of what she said and how it was received less than one week after her sermon at the National Cathedral.

But she said she has no real regrets about her comments, and she appeared happy they were leading to some meaningful conversations in the public space, as well as in the church pews.

She also made it clear she sees the role of the clergy as supporting people who need it, and that it was far from inappropriate for her to say what she said.

“I mean, politics and faith can’t be separated. That’s true,” Budde told The Hill. “Because politics is about organized community and power and how power affects people. So, to say that religion isn’t political is really, it’s just not … true, right?”

Budde has been hit hard by some GOP critics, including Trump, who called her “nasty” and not smart” and demanded an apology from her and the church.

But Budde said her comments were not made from a partisan point of view, even if some perceived them that way.

“If I were seen as partisan, I think that would be problematic. But, given the way the country is divided — what I’m saying right now is perceived as partisan, but I’m not basing it on the Democratic Party,” she said. “I’m basing it on my Christian faith and how I how I interpret what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.”

Here is an transcript of The Hill’s conversation with Budde, in which she reflected on her sermon, spoke about what she describes as the “culture of contempt” in the U.S. and said she would welcome a conversation with Trump. This interview was edited for length.

Q: What do you make of the fact that people are calling you and looking at you as the face of the resistance to Trump after you spoke out?

A: “I spoke to the president about the need for mercy— a pretty solid Christian spiritual tenant … it feels pretty straightforward. It’s something I’ve been preaching and teaching, and it’s also very much a part of the Episcopal tradition. So if it’s received in that way, I think it says more about where we are as a country than it does about what I said. And as I mentioned, we live in a culture of contempt. We tend to see people through the worst possible light. It also means we probably see some people in the best possible light when that actually isn’t accurate, either … and maybe this is the other side of the same coin.”

Q: The New York Times wrote on Sunday that liberal protestants are feeling “seen” because of you, how does that part of the reaction make you feel?

A: “We are not the predominant Christian voice in the public arena now. That’s very clear. And so to be heard in the public arena was news, right?

“Perhaps we need to broaden our audience a bit because many of the people who have been approaching me are people who have given up on religion completely. Many, many people will start out by saying, ‘Bishop Budde, I’m not a religious person,’ or, ‘I want you to know that I’m an atheist, but I want to thank you for what you said.’

“And so, I think actually that’s the context … would I like other people to speak in favor of dignity? Yeah, absolutely. I’d like a lot more people, and not just people who … may agree with me on my positions. I think if we could actually have a broader conversation across our differences, that would be the example because right now, there’s no middle ground.”

Q: Are there any measures that President Trump has taken that you are the most concerned about now that you’ve reflected on the last week?

A: “I would say the fear and the sense of deep vulnerability among immigrants — and not simply recent immigrants, but immigrants who have been here for generations — is very high. Not universally of course; obviously there’s some immigrant communities that were very supportive of the president and wanted exactly what he said he would do, and as he is in fact doing.”

Q: We heard one Republican congressman say last week that you should be deported. When that all relates to your safety and security, do you feel safe?

A: “I have a lot of support around me. I am very well supported, and so I fear far less for my safety than for many other people.”

Q: Is there anything that you wish you had said or hadn't said in that sermon now that you’ve looked back?

A: “I’m at peace with it, and people have asked if I feel like I should apologize, and that would be apologizing for my understanding of the teachings of Jesus, and I just can’t do that.

“I regret the reaction in the sense that, it’s an example of the very thing I was talking that we needed to address, which is the culture of contempt and the outrage that is fueled in our country. That is the source of regret to me, but I don’t regret what I said.”

Q: Would you be open to a conversation with President Trump?

A: “Always. Always. Always. Always, with anyone, particularly with people who disagree with me. I would welcome that now. I don’t think I want to do it on a social media platform, right? I think face-to-face … main line Protestantism hasn’t actually had a lot of access to, really any administration … but if that would be of value, doors always open.”

Q: With President Trump back in the White House, do faith leaders have a responsibility to speak out?

A: “I think people who want to see a more merciful, a more toned-down political rhetoric in our society and a way to come together to work on things, I think actually we have to, we have to get organized, right? And we have to do our work to meet the moment which is, which is a challenging one for many but here we are.”

Q: Is there a reaction that has stood out the most to you?

A: “I was in a church yesterday — a small church in Bethesda — and it was unusually crowded, and the majority of people who came that were guests were … under the age of 30. So that strikes me.

“And the questions that they asked me, which were similar to the questions you’re asking but from a different sense of wonderment and vulnerability. I feel like everything I do now is for those who are coming up behind me. Your generation has far more … to live through than mine.”

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EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Budde on Trump, her sermon and how religion can’t be separated from politics

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