Election Eve: US Bishops Regret Oval Office Prayer Session

Voters in the United States received a new data point in the midterm election race on Monday when two Catholic bishops publicly expressed regret over a White House meeting with President Donald Trump. The admission comes after video footage of the session was released online, complicating the religious leaders' efforts to maintain neutrality during a critical election week.

Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa, said they did not intend to endorse the president or any political party. Joensen stated in a written release that the gathering was organized by the White House Faith Office to address immigration, clergy visas, and the treatment of vulnerable populations. He described the public reaction as an exploitation of their meeting for partisan purposes.

The meeting took place on 22 October at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Grob explained that the group of bishops spent 90 minutes with administration officials before being brought into the Oval Office to pray with the president. He believed the event was private and not a photo opportunity. That assumption changed when Margo Martin, a special assistant to the president and communications adviser, shared behind-the-scenes images and video on social media.

Grob noted that he began receiving messages from congregants who were concerned about his potential political participation. He also heard from parishioners who felt wounded by the president's policies on immigration and other issues. He confirmed that none of the participants gave permission for the public distribution of the media from the event.

The timing of the release is sensitive. The 3 November midterm elections will determine control of Congress. A Pew Research Center survey conducted this month shows that 30% of US Catholics approve of Trump's job performance, down from 47% when he took office in 2025. In the same poll, 42% of Catholics preferred the Democratic candidate in their local House of Representatives race, compared to 39% who favored the Republican candidate.

The White House responded to the bishops' comments through Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers. She stated that President Trump has been the greatest president for Catholic Americans and cited his record as proof. The White House did not directly address the questions regarding the meeting or the specific remarks made by Grob and Joensen when contacted by reporters.

This incident occurs against a backdrop of tension between the administration and the Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV and President Trump have maintained a contentious relationship, partly due to the administration's aggressive approach to removing individuals believed to be in the US illegally. In September, Bishop Brendon Cahill and Walter Kim of the National Association of Evangelicals urged Christian compassion in the immigration debate, citing the fracturing of families and the sowing of fear.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops recently criticized the administration's plan to livestream a military execution, a plan that was later abandoned. Despite these conflicts, some Catholic leaders have engaged with the White House. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both Catholics, have visited the Vatican during this term. Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota and former New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan have also joined the president's Religious Liberty Commission.