US Catholic bishops say White House prayer photo was used politically

The Oval Office prayer

Twelve Catholic religious leaders prayed with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, 22 October 2026. Among them was Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob, along with Des Moines Bishop William Joensen. The New York Times reports that Archbishop James R. Golka of Denver led the prayer.

The White House later shared photos and a video of the prayer, and a clip under 30 seconds was posted on social media by a White House official during the midterm campaign. The footage spread quickly online. The meeting took place less than two weeks before the midterm elections, and the bishops say they never agreed to the release of the material.

Bishops say they were used

Grob released a statement titled "A Public Apology" on Sunday, 25 October, saying he had received many questions and some distressed comments about the meeting. He wrote that the bishops had been told the session would be private, that several Catholic cabinet members might attend, and that they could pray privately with the president. He said the images were released without the participants' consent and apologised for any harm caused by his decision to attend.

“The meeting was in no way an endorsement of the president, his policies, or his party.”

Joensen, bishop of Des Moines, issued a separate statement saying he believed the White House had taken advantage of the bishops. He wrote that he wished he had acted with more caution, and he said he regretted being naive about the event.

“I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purpose.”

Joensen also said he prayed to be more prudent going forward, while staying open to engaging political leaders at all levels. He added that none of the bishops intended to back a party or candidate by taking part.

The White House response

The White House press office declined to say whether it had received the bishops' consent before releasing the photos and video. Instead, spokeswoman Taylor Rogers issued a statement about the president's record with Catholic Americans.

“There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it.”

Golka told a local Catholic publication that it was never his intention for the meeting to be seen as an endorsement. Grob wrote that the bishops should never have been placed in that position by the White House, and he said he had gone to the meeting with reservations.

Invitation and agenda

According to Joensen and Grob, the White House invitation was extended in September and proposed talks on immigration enforcement, religious worker visas, abortion and federal tax credits that support private education. A separate account lists migration and social policy, reproductive medicine and support for educational institutions as the planned topics. The bishops acknowledged that the timing was sensitive, since the photos surfaced less than two weeks before the midterm elections.