Catholic Bishops Regret Oval Office Photo Op Ahead of Election
Archbishops Grob and Joensen say they were misled into thinking their White House meeting was private, a claim the administration has not directly refuted.
By Ricardo Brooks ·
Two US Catholic bishops have publicly expressed regret over a recent meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa, stated that they did not intend to make a political endorsement. The controversy began after images and video of the 22 October gathering were released online. The footage shows the religious leaders standing around the President at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
Bishop Joensen explained in an online statement that White House Faith Office officials arranged the visit. He said the agenda included discussions on immigration, visas for international clergy, and the exploitation of vulnerable poor persons. Joensen emphasized that the group did not aim to support any specific political party or candidate. He noted that he wished he had been more shrewd in handling the situation, which he said was exploited for partisan purposes.
Archbishop Grob clarified that the religious leaders spent 90 minutes meeting with officials before being brought into the Oval Office to pray with the President. He stated that the event was understood to be private and not a staged photo opportunity. Grob said he began receiving messages of concern from congregants after the images circulated. He noted that some felt wounded by the President's policies, while others worried about the appearance of political alignment less than two weeks before the national election.
Grob asserted that none of the participants gave permission for the public distribution of the video or photos. The footage was released by Margo Martin, a special assistant to the President who frequently shares behind-the-scenes images on social media. When contacted for comment, the White House did not directly address the questions about the meeting or the bishops' subsequent remarks.
White House Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers issued a statement praising the President. She said there has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, citing his strong record. This comment came as polling data suggests a shift in support among religious voters. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 30% of US Catholics approve of Trump's job performance. This is a drop from the 47% who approved when he returned to the White House in 2025.
The survey indicates potential implications for the 3 November midterm elections. Among Catholics, 42% preferred the Democratic candidates in their local House of Representatives races. In comparison, 39% favored the Republican candidates. The political tension between the administration and the Catholic Church has been evident during Trump's second term. The President has maintained a contentious relationship with Pope Leo XIV, particularly regarding aggressive measures to remove people believed to be in the US illegally.
This friction occurred despite the presence of prominent Catholics in the administration. Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are both Catholic and have visited the Vatican. Additionally, Robert Barron of Minnesota and former New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan served on the President's Religious Liberty Commission. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops recently condemned the administration's plan to livestream a military execution, a plan that was later scrapped.
Source: BBC News
