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| - A rumor that Episcopal Church leadership removed Bishop Mariann Budde from the Washington National Cathedral following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump over her sermon at his inaugural prayer service was circulating online in late January.
For example, one user on Threads (archived) posted an image sharing the rumor and added: "A glimpse of rare hope coming from the Episcopal Church in the dismissal of this pretend bishop/pastor."
Variations of the rumor spread on Facebook (archived) and X (archived), and Snopes readers searched the site for information about whether it was true. However, there was no evidence that Budde was removed from the Washington National Cathedral, and no reputable news source has reported on this claim.
Rather, the rumor originated with a post authored by the America - Love It or Leave It Facebook page. That Facebook page is part of the America's Last Line of Defense network of websites and social media pages, which describes its output as being humorous and satirical in nature. The Dunning Kruger Times, a subsidiary of America's Last Line of Defense, also posted a satirical article about the rumor.
Both the Facebook page and the Dunning Kruger Times website read: "Nothing on this page is real."
The fictional story spread as Trump demanded an apology from Budde for her statements during the service, which he called "boring and uninspiring."
Budde's sermon included, in part: "Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you and, as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now."
The Episcopal Church's chief public affairs officer, Kevin Eckstrom, told Snopes via email, "I can confirm without hesitation that Bishop Budde very much remains the Episcopal Bishop of Washington." Eckstrom also pointed to a Jan. 22, 2025, report from Episcopal News Service, the official news outlet of the Episcopal Church, that included a statement from the organization:
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde was elected in 2011 by clergy and lay leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington to serve as their 9th bishop. She was ordained in November of that year, and has served as a bishop in good standing since that time. She is a valued and trusted pastor to her diocese and colleague to bishops throughout our church. We stand by Bishop Budde and her appeal for the Christian values of mercy and compassion.
Further, Budde is still listed on the leadership page of the Washington National Cathedral's official website.
Snopes has addressed similar satirical claims about Trump in the past, including the assertion that he directed FEMA officials to North Carolina in January 2025 with $2 billion set aside for "welfare for 'illegals,'" and a rumor that the prime minister of Greenland trolled Trump about his purported plan to buy the Arctic island.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.
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