# Catholic bishops meeting with President Trump > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/catholic-bishops-meeting-with-president-trump > Updated: 2026-10-26T23:59:38.000Z. Sources: 48. Developments: 3. On October 22, a group of approximately eight to thirteen Catholic bishops and archbishops met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Organized by the White House Faith Office and involving discussions on religious freedom, school choice, religious visas, and policies regarding the sanctity of life, the meeting was intended as a private dialogue. However, the White House released video footage and photos of the bishops praying over the president without their consent. This footage was subsequently used by the Trump campaign in a series titled ‘Religious Fridays’ less than two weeks before the U.S. midterm elections, leading to accusations of political manipulation. In response, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops clarified that it did not organize or affiliate with the gathering. Several prelates have since issued apologies and criticisms. Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines expressed regret, stating the meeting was ‘exploited’ and ‘manipulated’ for partisan purposes. Bishop Joensen noted he wished he had been more ‘shrewd’ to avoid such outcomes. Denver Archbishop James Golka, who led the prayer, emphasized that the event was not an endorsement of the president or the Republican Party, maintaining that praying for national leaders is a long-standing Catholic practice intended to seek blessings for the country regardless of political affiliation. The controversy has also drawn criticism from the Sisters of Charity of New York. ## Claims - Archbishop James R. Golka led the prayer during the meeting. (corroborated by 3 sources) - U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, 2026. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Archbishop Golka stated it was not his intention for the meeting to be viewed as support for Trump or the Republican Party. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Catholic bishops met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on October 22, 2026. (single source) - The meeting addressed immigration, religious worker visas, abortion, and private school tax credits. (single source) - The Trump campaign and White House communications advisor Margo Martin released a video of the prayer on social media. (single source) - The video was released approximately twelve days before the U.S. midterm elections. (single source) - A Pew Research Center poll indicates 42% of registered Catholic voters lean Democratic for the House of Representatives. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-10-26: US Catholic bishops criticize White House for using prayer footage in campaign US Catholic bishops are condemning the White House and Trump campaign for using footage of a private prayer meeting for political purposes. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-catholic-bishops-criticize-white-house-for-using-prayer-footage-in-campaign ### 2026-10-24: Catholic bishops distance themselves from Trump Oval Office prayer meeting Catholic bishops are distancing themselves from a White House prayer meeting with Donald Trump, claiming the administration used unconsented footage for political purposes ahead of the midterm elections. 33 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catholic-bishops-apologize-for-white-house-prayer-meeting ### 2026-10-22: Catholic Bishops meet President Trump at the White House Catholic bishops, led by Denver Archbishop James Golka, met with President Trump at the White House to discuss religious freedom and life policies, concluding with a prayer for the nation. 15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catholic-bishops-gather-in-oval-office-to-pray-for-president-trump --- Cite as: Catholic bishops meeting with President Trump. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/catholic-bishops-meeting-with-president-trump