Milwaukee Archbishop Grob Apologizes for White House Meeting, Calls Prayer 'Manipulated' by Trump Administration
Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee issued an apology on October 25, 2026, for participating in a White House meeting with President Donald Trump on October 22. Grob stated that the gathering, organized by the Heritage Foundation, was intended as a private discussion on immigration and religious visas but was manipulated into a political photo opportunity. He expressed regret for allowing the White House to direct him and other bishops to pray behind the President without consent for public distribution of images. Other participating bishops, including James Golka and William Joensen, confirmed the meeting was not a political endorsement and criticized the administration for exploiting the event for partisan purposes ahead of the midterm elections.