Catholic bishops express regret over White House meeting with President Trump

Two Catholic bishops in the United States have said they regret meeting President Donald Trump at the White House, after photos and video of the October 22 gathering were made public. Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee said he thought the meeting was private and not a "political photo opportunity," while Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines noted that the discussion, arranged by the White House Faith Office, covered immigration, visas for international clergy and the exploitation of vulnerable persons. > "In no way did any of us intend by our involvement to endorse any political party or any individual candidate," Joensen said. > "I wish I had been more shrewd and less simple, like those who exploited our meeting for partisan political purposes," he added. Archbishop Grob said the bishops were invited to pray with the president after a 90-minute briefing with officials, and that the subsequent distribution of images caused concern among some of his congregants. > "I soon began receiving messages of serious concern over the possibility that I had inadvertently participated in a political event less than two weeks before a national election," Grob wrote. The White House did not comment directly on the bishops' remarks, but a statement from spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said, "There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it." Pew Research Center data released this month showed that 30% of U.S. Catholics approved of President Trump's job performance, down from 47% in early 2025, and that a plurality of Catholic respondents favored Democratic candidates in upcoming House races.