You Can't Be Ambushed If You're the President

The greatest propaganda this country has ever spun is that we need to treat these people as if they're both children and divine rulers.

Screenshot: CNN via YouTube

On Monday, former presidents, current members of Congress, and hordes of others politely smiled along as Donald Trump—a person that many of those in attendance had called a fascist—was sworn in as president.

It certainly wasn’t a shock that the event went off without a hitch (well not exactly, Miss Underwood!), or that no one in the Washington elite or Democratic Party had any desire to break from the norm or cause a disturbance.

The only person in DC, it seems, with any sense of moral fortitude or self-respect, was Episcopal bishop Mariann Edgar Budde. The day after the inauguration, during a prayer service at the National Cathedral, Budde addressed Trump, who was in the audience, essentially asking him to ponder whether there was any trace of humanity left within him (and yes, certainly knowing that her message would extend far beyond the walls of the church).

Here is what she said (video here):

In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country. We’re scared now. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes, and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara, and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.

Budde’s address, while certainly brave, was almost astoundingly calm and courteous. It has been covered in several ways. Some outlets have called it a confrontation; others have framed Budde as someone who angered Trump (this article also describes previous “clashes” between the two); and others still have put Trump’s subsequent “demand” for an apology at the forefront. Many others, to their credit, have described it as Budde herself did: a plea.

And then there were the people who erupted in a way that would make you think Budde put a gun to Trump’s head and made him beg for his life.