White House defends Trump after archbishop apologises over ‘manipulated’ prayer moment ahead of midterms

Catholic Archbishops and Bishops pray with President Trump in the Oval Office. The White House has defended US President Donald Trump after Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob apologised for participating in an Oval Office prayer with the president, accusing the administration of turning the religious gathering into a political photo opportunity less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections.Grob, in a statement titled “A Public Apology” published on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s website on Sunday, said the White House had distributed photographs and video of the October 22 meeting without the consent of the 12 participating bishops. He accused the administration of manipulating a sacred moment for partisan political purposes.The archbishop said he had received messages from Catholics concerned that his participation could be interpreted as an endorsement of Trump or his administration. He expressed regret over the distress caused by his involvement, adding that he had reservations about attending the meeting but wished he had given them greater consideration.“I feel a heavy sadness, not only over the pain I caused, but also for the fact that something so sacred to a gr...