The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, who called on Trump to ‘have mercy,’ to step down in 2028

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington will need a new spiritual leader by mid-2028, when Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde departs. Budde, who gained national notice after urging President Donald Trump to show compassion for immigrants and LGBTQ+ children during a service at Washington National Cathedral, disclosed her plans in an October 1 letter to the diocese. Her tenure will conclude when her successor is consecrated and ordained in June 2028, according to MS NOW.

In the letter, Budde said she reached the decision after consulting diocesan leaders and the office of the Presiding Bishop, and that parting would be hard for her. She will stay on while a replacement is chosen, then go back to Minnesota, her home state, she told Religion News Service. She began leading the diocese in 2011, the first woman in that role.

The January 2025 service marked Trump's second inauguration, and the president was present. Trump responded angrily, calling her a "Radical Left hard line Trump hater" and demanding an apology from her and her church. He also called her tone nasty and the service boring. Since returning to office, Trump has pursued mass deportations and signed several executive orders restricting transgender people.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →