White House Fires Back After Archbishop Says Trump Prayer Was Used Politically
Andrew Powell · Oct 27, 2026 · 2 min read
Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob is apologizing for taking part in an Oval Office prayer with President Donald Trump after accusing the White House of turning the religious gathering into a political opportunity.
According to Fox News, Grob released a statement Sunday titled "A Public Apology," saying photographs and video from the Thursday meeting were distributed without the consent of the 12 bishops who attended.
He said the publicity left some Catholics believing the bishops had participated in an endorsement of Trump.
The archbishop said he had concerns about attending before the meeting and expressed regret that his participation caused distress among members of his church.
"I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a group of religious leaders, prayer to our Heavenly Father, would be manipulated in that way," Grob said.
He said the bishops had entered the meeting intending to discuss issues affecting Catholics and to pray with the president, not to create material for a political campaign.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers defended Trump in a statement to Fox News, pointing to what she described as the president's strong record on issues important to Catholic Americans.
"There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump," Rogers said, citing Trump's policies involving religious liberty, pro-life activists, parental rights and other issues.
The meeting was organized by the Heritage Foundation and focused on immigration enforcement, religious worker visas and other Catholic priorities. After roughly 90 minutes with White House domestic policy officials and advisers, the bishops entered the Oval Office, where Trump gave them commemorative tokens before joining them in prayer.
Grob said the bishops did not know the prayer was being recorded.
Des Moines Bishop William Joensen also criticized the way the gathering was publicized, saying Saturday that none of the bishops intended to endorse Trump, a political party or any candidate.
Denver Archbishop James Golka, who led the prayer, acknowledged the potential political concerns but said praying for elected officials is a longstanding Catholic practice.
The episode comes amid ongoing disagreements between Catholic leaders and the Trump administration, particularly over immigration. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sued the administration in February 2025 over the suspension of refugee resettlement funding.
At the same time, Bishop Robert Barron has urged Catholics to maintain dialogue with Trump despite policy disagreements, saying he does not want the church to "demonize" the administration.