US President Donald Trump began his first day in power this Tuesday with an interreligious service at the Washington National Cathedral, an event that marks the closing of his inauguration events.
Trump attended the ceremony with first lady Melania Trump. From the front row, both listened in silence and with a solemn gesture to the prayers, the organ melodies and the songs, including an ‘Ave Maria’. At his side were Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha.
Episcopalian Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde asked Trump and Vance to have “mercy” with “gays, lesbians and transgender children.” The bishop added: “And also with those who gather our crops and clean our offices; those who wash our dishes in a restaurant or those who work night shifts in hospitals.”
“They may not be citizens or they may not have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” Budde recalled, under the uncomfortable gaze of Vance, who at one point looked for Trump.
This type of service has been a tradition since 1993, when the new president attends a prayer ceremony the morning after his inauguration.
Less than two weeks ago, Trump was in that same cathedral for the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981), where he was seen chatting animatedly with Barack Obama (2009-2017). At that event, Trump sat in the second row, while the first was reserved for the then president, Joe Biden.
In addition to the religious service, Trump plans to meet this Tuesday afternoon at the White House with important Republican legislators, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, and the Senate Majority Leader, John Thune, to discuss your legislative agenda.
Later, he will offer statements at the White House and make a “big announcement on infrastructure,” according to his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said this Tuesday in an interview with Fox News.
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