You can tell that liberal networks bring on liberal religious leaders to sound off on Trump and ICE, but only to address what's "helpful" to the left-wing narrative. Catholic Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago and Episcopal Bishop Rob Hirschfeld were never bothered with the question of whether they approved of the anti-ICE church invasion in Minneapolis that abruptly ended a Sunday service in mid-sermon.
What would Jesus do during a church invasion? No one asked. Bash interviewed Cardinal Cupich on Friday's Inside Politics:
CNN's Dana Bash offered softballs to liberal Cardinal Cupich, setting him up on what he would tell Catholic VP JD Vance on foreign policy. Bash never asked this church leader about the church-invading protest in Minneapolis. Like it's irrelevant to his role? pic.twitter.com/TwcNKw77mQ
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) January 23, 2026
Here are Bash's carefully tailored softballs:
It really is a remarkable -- and historic statement. Why did you feel it was so needed right now?
His [Pope Leo's] framework talked about the worry about weakness of multilateralism and a zeal for war is spreading. Look, you don't say President Trump's name in this, but your three U.S. Cardinals clearly issuing a warning about his policies. It's pretty thinly veiled.
The President of the United States is not a Catholic, but the Vice President is, as you well know. I'm wondering if you got any response from either the Vice President's office or really anybody else in the administration. [He said no.]
If you could give a message directly to the Vice President, who obviously is a man of deep faith, what would it be?
How do you sort of see the way that he [Pope Leo] is navigating, not just being the leader of Catholics around the world, but as an American in this particular time, given what is happening in the country of his birth?
What's your message to Americans who may be struggling with their faith during some pretty turbulent and divisive times right now?
Cardinal Cupich was also spared a church-invasion question in a Monday puffball presentation with MS NOW star Rachel Maddow (but at least the commercials told you how MS NOW fans feel about organized religion).
On the Amanpour show on CNN International (which doubles as Amanpour & Co. on PBS stations), co-host Michel Martin (a moonlighting NPR morning host) interviewed Hirschfeld for 17 minutes and never touched the church invasion. For the most part, it was more of the "what would you like to preach" interview style.
So, as you talk to your congregants, what are they telling you?
Well, you came to national attention after remarks you made at a vigil for Renee Macklin Good, who's the American woman, you know, wife, mom, mom of three, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent earlier this month. So, the first thing I wanted to ask is, what brought you to that vigil?
Here's what you said. You said, ‘I have told the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire to get their affairs in order, to make sure they have their wills written, because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.’ I have a couple questions, which is, had you gone there prepared to make the statement? Had this been in your mind and on your heart at that time, what was it that brought that forward?
CNN/PBS anchor interviews the N.H. Episcopal bishop who called for "martyrdom" against ICE for 17 minutes. NEVER asks about church-invading protests. Both host and guest confuse free speech with interfering with law-enforcement actions. @abigailmarone quoted. pic.twitter.com/bVCWCeYdtc
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) January 23, 2026
Martin's other question was about why he mentioned "martyrdom," which clearly suggests the willingness to be killed in a protest. At least Martin offered a Team Trump counterpoint, unlike Bash:
So, Bishop, I know you're aware that among the reactions are there are those who say that your words inflamed tensions or have the possibility of inflaming tensions rather than calming them. I mean, to that end, the spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, called your remarks absurd and said that if you really want to take a stand for the vulnerable, you should stand by ICE agents who are increasingly under attack. Like, what do you say to that?....
The White House, as -- is their wont, has doubled down. They issued a statement saying, no one should follow advice encouraging them to commit crimes. Anyone who interferes with federal law enforcement operations is committing a crime and will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. That comes from Abigail Jackson, who's a White House spokesperson. What do you respond to that?
