President Donald Trump and a slate of top administration officials are set to appear Sunday on the National Mall in Washington for a prayer gathering that organizers have billed as a "rededication of our country as One Nation Under God" to mark America's 250th birthday. The event, Rededicate 250, features a lineup dominated by conservative Christian clergy and Republican leaders, but critics argue it represents an effort to impose a Christian nationalist narrative on the nation's history.
The daylong program, organized by the nonprofit Freedom 250, is described on its website as a public-private partnership "leading the presidential programming for America's 250th anniversary." However, congressional Democrats have raised concerns about the group's structure and financing, alleging it functions as a Trump-controlled end run around a congressionally chartered commission established a decade ago to plan semiquincentennial events.
Organizers expect thousands to attend, with a program featuring worship music, prayers, and speeches from Cabinet members and other Republican officials. Trump and several others will address the crowd via video, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are scheduled to speak in person. In a promotional video, Hegseth declared, "Our founders knew two simple truths: our rights don't come from government, they come from God, and a nation is only as strong as its faith." Hegseth's use of Christian rhetoric in official settings, including to justify U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran, has drawn scrutiny.
Another promotional video blends Christian and American imagery, including a cross on an American flag, a robed choir, and people raising their hands in worship, with a brief shot of a man in a Jewish skullcap. Voices of prominent preachers are heard, with one proclaiming, "Faith in God is the value that most shaped America." Religious leaders on the program include longtime Trump supporters such as evangelist Franklin Graham, Paula White-Cain—who heads the White House Faith Office—Robert Jeffress, and Samuel Rodriguez. Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron are also scheduled, along with Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, the only non-Christian faith leader on the program. Grammy-winning contemporary Christian artist Chris Tomlin is set to perform.
Some participants have framed the event explicitly as a Christian gathering. "I believe it's a moment when the Body of Christ, the church, comes together and will boldly declare that America still needs God," said Georgia pastor Jentezen Franklin in a social media video. Johnson noted that the event coincides with the 250th anniversary of Congress declaring May 17, 1776, a "day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer" for the Revolutionary cause.
Critics, including Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), argue that Rededicate 250 promotes Christian nationalism—the belief that the United States was founded as and should remain a Christian nation. "What should be a broadly unifying celebration has been politically hijacked and wrapped up in this MAGA narrative that tries to rewrite our history and promote the president's agenda," Huffman said, referencing Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement. He added that the event "would have the founders rolling in their graves" and threatens constitutional protections against government-established religion.
Huffman, who co-chairs the Congressional Freethought Caucus, emphasized that the movement "doesn't speak for all Christians," noting Trump's recent sparring with Pope Leo XIV. The event coincides with other White House initiatives aimed at Trump's conservative Christian base, particularly white evangelical Protestants. Several participants—including Graham, White-Cain, Dolan, Barron, and Soloveichik—also serve on the Religious Liberty Commission, a Trump-appointed panel preparing a report after a year of hearings focused on conservative Christian grievances. Its chair, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), has repeatedly denied that the Constitution establishes a separation of church and state.
The gathering follows a Bible-reading marathon with Trump and a recent task force report alleging discrimination against Christians under former President Joe Biden—a report progressive groups dismissed as "advocacy dressed up as investigation." The event underscores the administration's alignment with conservative Christian priorities, even as critics warn of the erosion of secular governance.
