As mid-term elections approach, the White House has offended Catholics with a video in which Trump is prayed for.
According to the Financial Times reported on October 27, the White House recently released a video showing several Catholic clergy members praying beside U.S. President Trump. After the video was released, several bishops who participated in the event expressed their dissatisfaction, accusing the White House of using them to create an illusion of support for Trump.
Catholic bishops pray for Trump at the White House
This meeting is by no means a sign that we support the president or his policies. Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob said he regrets participating in this event.
The incident occurred on October 22. According to Grob, this event organized by the American conservative think tank Heritage Foundation was intended to allow bishops to have private conversations with senior White House officials, discussing issues of concern to the Catholic Church such as immigration laws and visas for religious workers.
After meetings with White House policy advisors, the bishops were taken to the Oval Office to meet with Trump and were then asked to stand behind the president while praying.
But Groob said that the bishops never agreed to publicly release the photos taken on site, and they had no knowledge that the entire process was recorded.
On that day, White House official Margo Martin posted a video on social media, captioning it as: "Catholic bishops and archbishops prayed with President Trump in the Oval Office."
Milwaukee Archbishop Groom subsequently issued a public apology statement, criticizing the White House for using this event for political purposes. He said, "I feel deep sorrow, not only because of the harm caused by myself, but also because the sacred actions of a group of religious leaders—praying to the Heavenly Father—have been manipulated in such a way."
Another participant in the event, Des Moines District Bishop William Joensen, also said that he should have been more cautious and not visited the White House at such a close time to the mid-term elections.
He sarcastically said, "I really wish I had been more clever back then, just like those who use our meeting for partisan political purposes."
Denver Archbishop James Golka said that he felt "heartbroken" about this meeting being seen as supporting Trump by the outside world.
He admitted that the government's decision to release videos just 12 days before the election might lead people to believe that these bishops were backing the president. But that was certainly not his intention.
Regarding these accusations, the White House has not directly responded to whether they have obtained the approval of the bishops.
White House spokesman Taylor Rogers instead said, “For American Catholics, no president has ever been greater than Trump.” She cited Trump’s measures to protect religious freedom and his pardons of anti-abortion activists to justify him.
Religious conservatives have always been a significant political support base for Trump. During the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, white evangelical Protestants gave him strong support. During his presidency, Trump pushed policies that restricted abortion and upheld the interests of religious conservatives. He also established the White House Faith Office during his second term to strengthen ties with religious groups.
In fact, Trump’s holding of a collective prayer ceremony at the White House is not something new. On March 5th of this year, shortly after the US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, Trump invited a group of evangelical pastors to the Oval Office. In the video, he sat at his desk, surrounded by about 20 religious figures. Some placed their hands on him, praying for him and the U.S. military, asking God to grant the president strength and protect the troops. In March 2025, Trump also invited evangelical pastors to hold a similar ceremony at the White House. Even earlier, during the 2020 presidential election, his religious advisor Paula White organized a prayer event to support Trump’s campaign.
Presidential Prayer Ceremony in 2025
According to data from the Pew Research Center during the 2024 elections, 81% of white Evangelical Protestant voters supported Trump. Among Catholic voters, Trump led Democratic candidate Harris by a margin of 55% to 43%.
However, Trump's relationship with the Catholic Church is not harmonious.
Since the beginning of this year, Trump has had several public confrontations with Pope Leo XIV over policies such as military strikes against Iran and harsh measures towards immigrants. After the pope criticized the United States' military actions against Iran, Trump even publicly called them "terrible."
The Catholic community in the United States also has significant differences regarding the immigration policies of the Trump administration. Some bishops believe that the tough enforcement measures contradict Catholic teachings.
As mid-term elections approach, Trump's support among religious groups continues to decline.
A poll released by the Pew Research Center on October 13 shows that Trump's support among adult Catholics in the United States has dropped from 47% at the beginning of 2025 to 30%. Among Latin Catholic voters, his support has plummeted to only 18%. Even among white Evangelical Protestants who strongly support him, their approval of his policies has fallen from 78% to 58%.
In this context, images of several bishops praying for Trump were publicly shared by the White House, causing intense controversy within the American Catholic community.
The United States Catholic Bishops Conference has distanced itself from this White House event, emphasizing that the organization was not involved. They also called on American voters to “refuse to be subjected to political rhetoric that breeds fear, resentment, or division” during the mid-term elections.
According to an analysis by Massimo Franco, author of the book ‘Pope, the US Dollar and War’, the White House’s move reflects the Trump administration’s concern about the loss of Catholic votes.
"If you tell them that this is a private prayer, a private meeting, and then use it to achieve your electoral goals, then you must be quite desperate."
"You know, the votes of Catholics can no longer be taken for granted."
