Referencing Trump’s belief that he was saved by God from assassination, the Right Reverend Mariann Budde said, “You have felt the providential hand of a loving God”.

“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” she said, in the Tuesday morning (early Wednesday AEDT) service.

After he returned to the White House, Trump said, “I didn’t think it was a good service” and “they could do much better”.

But later, in an overnight post on his social media site, he sharply criticised the “so-called Bishop” as a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater”.

“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” said Trump, a Republican, adding that Budde didn’t mention that some migrants have come to the US and killed people.

“Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job!” Trump said.

“She and her church owe the public an apology!”

A cathedral spokesperson did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Wednesday.

The Washington National Cathedral service was largely focused on national unity. Trump and Vice President JD Vance and their families attended, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump’s defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth.

In her sermon, Budde said they gathered “to pray for unity as a people and a nation — not for agreement, political or otherwise — but for the kind of unity that fosters community across diversity and division”.

“Unity is not partisan,” she said.

Evangelicals at service but not on program

More than a dozen religious leaders spoke during the interfaith service, including those from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

Notably absent from the invited clergy with speaking roles were conservative evangelicals, who are among Trump’s strongest supporters.

Nonetheless, some of those evangelical supporters were in the pews.

In attendance were Robert Jeffress, a longtime Trump supporter and pastor of Dallas’ First Baptist Church; Paula White-Cain, a televangelist and key spiritual adviser during Trump’s first term; and Lorenzo Sewell, the pastor of Detroit’s 180 Church, who gave a spirited benediction at Monday’s inauguration.

New kind of inaugural prayer service

The Washington National Cathedral has hosted 10 official inaugural prayer services for presidents of both major political parties. The tradition dates back to 1933.

The latest service had a different emphasis than previous ones. Its focus was on the nation instead of the new administration — a plan made before election day.

“We are in a unique moment in our country’s history, and it is time to approach this differently,” said the Very Reverend Randy Hollerith, dean of the Episcopal cathedral, in an October statement.

“This will be a service for all Americans, for the well-being of our nation, for our democracy.”