Thousands of people gathered on Sunday at the National Mall for a one-day prayer rally, presented as a “reaffirmation of the country’s commitment as a united nation under God.”
Against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, sacred music resounded from a stage that left no doubt about the Christian nature of the event. Stained glass windows, set under large columns reminiscent of a federal building, depicted the country’s founders next to a white cross.
Most speakers highlighted the links between Christianity and American history, a blend of ideas that critics had denounced before the prayer rally as supporting Christian nationalism.
President Donald Trump read a passage from the scriptures in a video broadcast during the rally. Filmed in the Oval Office, it was the same sequence used during a Bible reading marathon last month. Verses from 2 Chronicles are often cited by those who believe America was founded as a Christian country.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land,” read Donald Trump.
Other prominent Republican figures, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, also appeared in the program marking the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States this year.
Only one non-Christian (Protestant) name on the “Rededicate 250” program. Most were long-time evangelical supporters of Mr. Trump, including Paula White-Cain from the White House’s Faith Office and evangelist Franklin Graham from Samaritan’s Purse.
“We are deeply concerned that what is actually being reaffirmed is the commitment of a country to a very narrow and ideological part of the Christian faith that betrays our fundamental commitment to religious freedom,” said Reverend Adam Russell Taylor, a Baptist pastor who heads the progressive Christian organization Sojourners.
The list of invited conservative Christian personalities included individuals who often argue that the United States was founded as a Christian country, a narrative disputed by many historians and other religious traditions.
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, emphasized the religious diversity of early America, which included Jews, Muslims, and indigenous peoples. “I want to highlight the history of America as a country that welcomes, celebrates, and protects people of all faiths and those with none,” supported Mr. Pesner.
Participants Enthralled
Many participants wore Trump hats and patriotic colors.
“It’s all about Jesus,” said Denny Smith, a 72-year-old man from Rhode Island, who had rented an electric scooter to navigate the National Mall.
Retha Bond, a 58-year-old woman from southern Illinois, had also heard the president speak nearby on January 6, 2021. She stated that she did not participate in the later Capitol uprising but remained a fervent supporter of Mr. Trump.
“I’m not saying Trump is the savior,” said Ms. Bond. She added that “it’s one of the most important things that can happen in the world: that we renew our country’s commitment to God.”
At least one speaker mentioned conservative activist Charlie Kirk from the stage. Kirk’s commitment was a strong example for Alessandra Seawright, a 15-year-old girl from Santa Fe, New Mexico, who came to Rededicate 250 with her mother.
“I think we just need more initiatives like this in our country, and we just need to share the word of the Lord,” she declared. “We love attending events like this.”
They also attended the commemorative ceremony in honor of Kirk, who mixed Christian worship and political messages. According to Alessandra Seawright, such events help her feel less alone in her conservative Christian beliefs.
Protestations Elicit
Pete Hegseth, who infused his role at the Pentagon with Christian language and worship, asked the assembly in a video to pray to “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Referring to George Washington’s faith, he stated: “Let’s pray without ceasing. Let’s pray for our country on our knees.”
Orthodox Rabbi Meir Soloveichik was the only non-Christian religious leader on the program. To applause, he told the crowd, “Anti-Semitism is entirely un-American” – an apparent reference to the debates dividing the right.
Mr. Soloveichik sat on the Commission for Religious Freedom in the Trump administration alongside Paula White-Cain, Franklin Graham, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and Bishop Robert Barron, Catholic religious figures also present in the program.
The event was organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership supported by the White House. Congressional Democrats questioned the structure and finances of this nonprofit organization, which they view as a workaround by President Trump of a separate commission created by Congress ten years ago to prepare for bicentennial events.
Progressive groups organized counter-demonstrations. Among them were the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates for a strict separation of church and state, and the Christian organization Faithful America. Both groups displayed a large balloon representing a golden calf with Trump’s likeness on the Mall, in reference to idolatry.
On Thursday night, the Interfaith Alliance projected protest slogans on an exterior wall of the National Gallery of Art. “Democracy, not theocracy,” read one of them. Another said, “Separation of church and state is good for both.”
___ Peter Smith, a journalist for the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, contributed to this article. ___ The religious coverage of the Associated Press is supported by a collaboration between AP and The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.
