It seems the world of politics and religion just can’t help but collide sometimes. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville added his voice to the growing chorus of Republicans taking issue with Rev. Mariann Budde’s bold statements during the inaugural prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. The target of her comments? Former President Donald Trump.
Appearing on The Todd Starnes Show on Newsmax, Tuberville didn’t hold back when asked about Trump being “lectured” by the bishop, as host Todd Starnes described it. Rev. Budde had addressed concerns over mass deportations, asking Trump to “have mercy on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away.” Tuberville fired back, accusing Budde of “spewing hate.”
“You think you’ve seen it all,” Tuberville said with frustration. “I’ve been up here in this clown show for four years, watching the radical left push an agenda I don’t even recognize while throwing hate around like confetti.”
Budde didn’t stop at immigration concerns. She highlighted issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities, noting that gay, lesbian, and transgender children in families across the political spectrum “fear for their lives.” These comments sparked further ire from Tuberville, who felt they unfairly targeted Trump.
“For this bishop to turn on President Trump—especially after a weekend where he spoke about God more than ever and showed he’s trying to bring this country back—it just amazes me how far some people will go,” Tuberville added.
Of course, Tuberville couldn’t resist taking aim at the mainstream media, accusing them of selective outrage. “They’ve lost their minds over executive orders and pardons,” he claimed. “They’re silent on Joe Biden pardoning his family or commuting sentences for thousands, but they’ll harp on everything Trump does.”
As the interview wrapped, Tuberville predicted four more years of what he described as relentless attacks. “We’ve just got to keep fighting back at the end of the day,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Georgia Representative Mike Collins upped the rhetoric, suggesting that Rev. Budde herself should be deported, despite her being born in New Jersey. Collins made his fiery remark on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.”
This exchange highlights just how intense—and sometimes personal—political debates can get when religion enters the mix. It’s a clash of values, beliefs, and, perhaps most importantly, narratives. One thing’s for sure: conversations like these aren’t going away anytime soon.
