Two of the bishops recently pictured praying with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office have issued statements distancing themselves from the event. One said the White House had manipulated the meeting and that he had not given permission for photographs of him to be shared publicly.
On October 22, a group of 12 bishops visited the Oval Office and prayed briefly with President Trump. A video of the prayer was shared on X by Jenny Korn, faith director of the White House Faith Office.
Not politics. This is policy in action ending with meaningful Prayer with & for the President. He welcomes prayer in the Oval Office regularly- on & off camera. People of faith have a VOICE @potus @whitehouse Faith Office. This is not just a “photo op” These are Catholic Archbishops and Bishops who spent time talking with us about important issues on religious freedom, school choice, family tax credits, religious visas, and life. They are leaders within their communities and have a seat at the table. #Faith #Pray @USCCB @EWTN @EWTNews @IngrahamAngle @RaymondArroyo @VinceCoglianese @FoxNews @RCamposDuffy @SebGorka @SaraCarterDC @nicoleparkerusa @realtalkstruth @kilmeade @BrianBurchUSA @LaurenGreenFox @kevincorke @DavidJHarrisJr @RealAmVoice @DBrodyReports @realKenOliver
— Jenny Korn (@JennySKorn) October 22, 2026
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, apologised to his archdiocese in a letter published on October 25 on its website. He said the images and video of the event had been “publicized by the administration without the consent of the participants”.
