Politics
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Catholic Bishops Apologize After White House Meeting With Trump
Two Catholic bishops expressed regret after photos and video of them praying with President Trump were released by the White House without their consent, just before the midterm elections.
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THE PRIMARY BRIEF
- 01 · The primary finding
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob and Bishop William Joensen apologized for attending a White House meeting with President Trump, alleging the event was "exploited" for political purposes by the White House.
- 02 · The primary evidence
The apologies came after the White House released photos and video of the bishops praying with Trump without their consent, less than two weeks before the midterm elections.
- 03 · Why it matters
The incident highlights the challenges religious leaders face when their interactions with political figures are perceived as being used for electoral advantage, especially as Trump's Catholic approval rating dropped to 30%.
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines issued public apologies last weekend, stating that a private meeting with President Donald Trump on October 22, 2026, was “exploited” by the White House for political gain. The apologies followed the release of photos and a video showing twelve Catholic bishops praying with President Trump in the Oval Office, an event the bishops say occurred without their consent for public distribution less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections.
The incident draws attention to the difficulties religious leaders encounter when their interactions with political figures are perceived as being weaponized for electoral advantage, particularly amidst a significant decline in President Trump's approval rating among Catholic voters.
What the records show
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) distanced itself from the event. On October 22, 2026, a USCCB spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, confirmed, “This was not something that the USCCB organized. It is not affiliated with the conference”.
The timeline
What changed and for whom
The event also took place against the backdrop of changing political support. A Pew Research Center survey in October 2026 showed President Trump's approval rating among all Catholics had dropped to 30%, down from 47% at the beginning of his second term.
What the subject has said publicly
What we could not confirm
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