US President Donald Trump called a Washington bishop “nasty” for her remarks during the sermon at his presidential inaugural prayer service on Monday. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde appealed to President Trump to have mercy on gay, lesbian, and transgender children. Ms Budde also alleged Trump of sowing fear into the hearts of immigrants and their children.

In his latest reaction to Bishop’s speech, Trump accused Ms Budde of being a Trump hater and carrying a nasty tone. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.”

In her sermon, Ms Budde said that the vast majority of immigrants are “not criminals.” To this, Trump said, “She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA.”

Not just her comments, Trump also reacted to the service at large and called it a “very boring and uninspiring one.”

“She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!” he said.

On Tuesday, Trump visited the Washington National Cathedral for the inaugural prayer service. There, the Bishop pleaded, “In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in democratic, republican and independent families. Some who fear for their lives.”

Ms Budde described undocumented immigrants as “tax payers” and “good neighbours”.

“Our god teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger. For we were all once strangers in this land,” she said.

Following the service, when a reporter asked Trump for a reaction, he said, “Not too exciting, was it. I didn’t think it was a good service. No…They can do much better.”

Trump’s Moves Against Transgenders, Immigrants

During his inaugural speech at the US Capitol as the 47th President, Donald Trump issued measures against the third gender. He said, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”

He vowed to end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. “We will forge a society that is colour blind and merit based,” he added.

He also announced restrictions on immigration, attempting to end birthright citizenship.

New Delhi:

The first third gender candidate so far in the Lok Sabha polls in the national capital, filed his nomination papers from the South Delhi constituency on Friday.

26-year-old Rajan Singh, wearing a dhoti, cap and gold jewelleries, reached alone for filing nomination papers at the office of the returning officer of South Delhi in Saket.

“I am contesting this election to draw the attention of people as well as the authorities towards the problems faced by the third gender persons due to lack of separate civic amenities for them and also for their social acceptance and rights,” Rajan Singh told PTI.

Rajan Singh, a native of Bihar, lives in Sangam Vihar area of the city.

“I want the government to set up a national trans-gender commission so that our basic needs and necessities, such as separate washrooms and queues at government offices and service providers, and also at least one per cent reservation in jobs and education could materialise,” Rajan Singh said.

Rajan Singh has declared assets of Rs one lakh cash in hand and total movable assets worth Rs 15.10 lakh, including 200 gm gold and more than Rs 10,000, in a bank account.

Rajan Singh declared no immovable assets in the poll affidavit.

“My father was an electrician when we shifted to Delhi from Bihar in 2010. Life is tough for everyone, but for us it is tougher as we also have to fight for our identity, acceptance and equal rights.” Rajan Singh claimed it took three years to have an identity certificate because of lengthy procedure and said males and females do not have to provide any gender proof.

The filing of nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls is an effort to make the presence of a third gender felt by the people and draw attention of the voters towards their rights, Rajan Singh said.

“If I win, I will address basic needs for the third gender,” Rajan  Singh said pointing there are even animal welfare boards for their protection but there is no such arrangement for the third gender people.

The third gender have been recognised on official papers but they are yet to be accepted by the society, Singh said questioning why there were no leaders in any major political party from the community, Rajan Singh added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)