The bishop who asked Trump to have mercy on those “scared” of his looming immigration and civil rights crackdowns says she’ll keep praying for the president.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Diocese of Washington raised eyebrows on Tuesday US time when she spoke directly to Trump during a post-inauguration prayer service for the president, calling on him to show mercy to migrants and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Trump at the time called the service “not that exciting”, but later lashed out at Budde as a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater” in a post on his Truth Social site. “She is not very good at her job!” he posted after midnight. “She and her church owe the public an apology!”

“I don’t consider him an enemy,” Budde told AP on Wednesday. “I believe we can disagree respectfully and put our ideas out there and continue to stand for the convictions we’ve been given without resorting to violence of speech.”

As Trump and his vice-president J.D. Vance looked on during the Tuesday service, Budde appealed to him about “the gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives”. She preached that the “vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” but “good neighbours” and “faithful members” of religious communities.

Trump has already used his first days in office to issue executive orders rolling back transgender rights and toughtening immigration as the administration mobilises an unprecedented mass deportation effort.