On the National Mall, crowds gathered for the conservative “Rededicate 250” prayer event marking America’s 250th birthday, featuring Christian worship, religious leaders’ remarks, and video messages from President Trump and senior administration officials—whil
Crowds gathered on the National Mall on Sunday for “Rededicate 250. ” a mostly conservative Christian prayer gathering staged as part of a broader commemoration of America’s 250th birthday.. The program mixed praise and worship songs with prayers from religious leaders and speeches from members of the Trump administration. framed around gratitude and renewal.
The event was promoted as a chance to “give thanks for God’s providence. reflect on our nation’s story. and rededicate America as One Nation under God.” It was organized by Freedom 250. a public-private group working with the White House to organize the celebration of America’s 250 birthday this summer.
Among the scheduled speakers were 19 faith leaders; 18 are Christian, and most are evangelical.. White House faith office senior adviser Paula White-Cain, the Rev.. Franklin Graham, and Bishop Robert Barron, who leads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, were among the leaders.. Rabbi Meir Soloveichik—who leads Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City and serves on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission—was the only non-Christian religious leader who spoke.
President Trump, who was golfing Sunday afternoon, did not attend the gathering in person.. He instead delivered a video message reading the Biblical scripture 2 Chronicles 7:11-22. describing God’s response to King Solomon after he completed the temple in Jerusalem.. Other Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also appeared in video messages.
Speakers from Congress joined in the program, including Republican Sen.. Tim Scott of South Carolina.. House Speaker Mike Johnson led the crowd through a prayer. asking God for courage and favor to “preserve this republic. ” and saying. “our rights do not derive from the government. they come from You. our Creator and heavenly Father.” Christian musician Chris Tomlin. a Grammy-winning performer. took part at the event.
The tension came through in the pushback.. The event has been criticized as promoting Christian nationalism and obscuring the lines separating church and state.. Interfaith Alliance projected messages supporting religious freedom onto the National Gallery of Art on Thursday night.. In a social media post. the coalition described the gathering as “an attempt to turn the United States into an authoritarian theocracy.”
Rachel Laser. president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. said it is “less a ‘Jubilee of Prayer’ than a ‘Jubilee of Christian Nationalism.’” In a statement. Laser added: “If President Trump and his allies truly cared about America’s legacy of religious freedom. they would be celebrating church-state separation as the unique American invention that has allowed religious diversity to flourish in our country. ” and continued. “Instead. they continue to threaten this foundational principle by advancing a Christian Nationalist crusade to impose one narrow version of Christianity on all Americans.”
The pattern in the day’s proceedings was clear: the gathering was built around language of national rededication “under God. ” staffed largely by evangelical Christian leaders. and carried forward through presidential and administration video messages and congressional remarks—while critics pointed to the same focus as evidence of blurred separation between church and state.
United States politics National Mall Rededicate 250 Trump administration Paula White-Cain Franklin Graham Bishop Robert Barron Meir Soloveichik Tim Scott Mike Johnson 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 Christian nationalism church-state separation Freedom 250 Interfaith Alliance Americans United for Separation of Church and State