President Trump's criticism of Reverend Franklin Graham's plea for mercy prompted the reverend to respond: "It was a respectful response."

Mariann Edgar Budde, the Right Reverend, responded to President Donald Trump's criticism of her sermon at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday.

On the first day of his second term, Trump was met with a sermon from Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, who focused on "unity" and directly addressed Trump on issues such as illegal immigration and LGBTQ youth. Trump and Vice President JD Vance remained expressionless as Budde urged Trump to "have mercy," and the president later indicated to reporters that he didn't appreciate the comments.

"Budde stated in an interview on CNN Tuesday that Trump's response to his sermon was muted. He added that he keeps his expectations low when preaching and doesn't rely on body language or people's reactions to measure impact. Instead, he focuses on speaking from what he believes he has been given to say and letting it go."

Trump responded promptly to reporters' inquiries about the service at the White House.

"Was it not exciting, Mr. Trump?" inquired. "I did not believe it was a satisfactory service. There is room for improvement."

"Budde stated that the response was respectful, but he didn't like it. He expressed his dissatisfaction and suggested that they could do better. In contrast, some of the other comments he received were not as kind or as forthright. One of the things Budde aimed to convey was that they could have these conversations in a respectful manner."

Budde also explained the context of her comments directed at Trump.

"Budde stated that he was addressing the president during their one-on-one conversation, while also speaking to the audience who were listening. He emphasized the importance of treating everyone with respect and compassion, regardless of their political beliefs. He reminded the audience that the two groups he mentioned were fellow human beings who had been unfairly portrayed during the political campaign. Budde aimed to counter this negativity by gently reminding the audience of the humanity and importance of these individuals in their wider community."

"She said, "I spoke to the president because I sensed he was feeling empowered and charged to act on his beliefs, and I wanted to remind him of the importance of mercy and compassion. We should show kindness and understanding, rather than harshness, towards the most vulnerable members of our society.""

On Wednesday, Trump increased his criticism of Budde on Truth Social.

"The Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater," he wrote. "She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way."

Planet Chronicle' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.