US Bishops Regret White House Visit After Viral Photos Surface

Two US Catholic bishops have expressed regret over a recent White House meeting with President Donald Trump.

The controversy began after photos and video from an October 22 session were released to the public. The images show a group of religious leaders standing around the president at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. The footage was posted by Margo Martin, a special assistant to the president and communications adviser who often shares behind-the-scenes content on social media.

Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa, issued statements addressing the event. Grob stated he believed the gathering was private and not a political photo opportunity. He noted that he had believed the meeting would not be shared publicly until after the national election.

Joensen explained that the meeting was arranged by officials at the White House Faith Office. The agenda included discussions on immigration, visas for international clergy, and the exploitation of vulnerable poor persons. In a statement, Joensen clarified that no participant intended to endorse any political party or individual candidate. He described himself as less shrewd than those who used the meeting for partisan political purposes.

Grob added that the religious leaders spent 90 minutes with officials before entering the Oval Office to pray with Trump. He said he later received messages from congregants who were concerned he had inadvertently participated in a political event just two weeks before the election. Some parishioners said they felt wounded because of how the president's policies had affected them or their families. Grob asserted that none of the participants gave permission for the public distribution of the video or photos.

The White House did not directly address questions about the meeting or the bishops' comments when contacted for comment. Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers issued a statement praising the president's track record. She stated there has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than Trump. The administration has maintained that the meeting was a standard engagement with religious leaders.

Context for the disagreement includes a contentious relationship between Trump and Pope Leo XIV. Some US bishops have criticized the administration's immigration policies, though Trump has generally enjoyed support from Catholic voters. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 30% of US Catholics approve of Trump's job performance. That figure is down from 47% when he returned to the White House in 2025.

The survey also indicated that 42% of Catholics prefer Democrats in their local House of Representatives races, while 39% favor Republicans. These preferences could influence the November 3 midterm elections, which will decide control of Congress. Nine days before the Oval Office meeting, Bishop Brendon Cahill and Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, issued a statement urging Christian compassion in the immigration debate. They described the current clampdown as sowing fear and fracturing families.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops recently condemned the administration's plans to livestream a military execution, a plan that was later scrapped. Both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are Catholics who have visited the Vatican during Trump's second term. Robert Barron of Minnesota and former New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan also serve on the president's Religious Liberty Commission.