Public-Funded Prayer Day to Tie Nation's Founding to Christianity

The Trump administration plans to stage a nine-hour prayer event on the National Mall on Sunday that organizers describe as a bid to "rededicate" the US to its Christian foundations. They're using public money set aside for the nation's 250th anniversary, the Washington Post reports. Billed as Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving, the gathering is being run through Freedom 250, a public-private partnership created by the White House. Although the announcement talks of unity, the program is dominated by Protestant speakers. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson are scheduled to speak. President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are sending recorded messages.

Religious historians say the scope and tone of the event stand out from presidential observances that have typically featured broad, nonsectarian invocations. Of the 15 faith leaders listed as participating, 14 are Christian, including seven evangelical leaders and two Catholics, per USA Today. The only non-Christian religious leader listed is Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik. Amanda Tyler of the Baptist group BJC argued that the administration is promoting a false notion of the US as officially Christian and blurring church-state lines. Supporters, including Regent University scholar Mark David Hall, likened the jubilee to a Thanksgiving proclamation and emphasize that participation is voluntary.

The event also will also showcase what organizers call a Freedom Truck, one of six mobile exhibits using material from conservative groups PragerU and Hillsdale College to promote a "pro-American, Judeo-Christian" story of the founding. "This is really an affront to the American religious community," said the Rev. Paul Raushenbush, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance. "They are using an event like this, which could be the opportunity to showcase the incredible diversity of American religious life, which is so rich and beautiful and powerful ... to rewrite American history." Gates open at 9am, with music, military bands, and speeches continuing until 6pm.