Thousands of worshipers turned a stretch of the National Mall into a daylong Christian prayer rally Sunday, at a White House-backed festival marking the run-up to the nation's 250th anniversary. Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving featured evangelical-style services, live Christian music, and clergy leading invocations from a stage designed to echo Washington's neoclassical landmarks, the Washington Post reports. "We welcome Jesus into this place!" one performer told the crowd.
Funded with millions in public money, the gathering was to include in-person and virtual appearances by President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson. A lineup of prominent evangelical figures, including Franklin Graham, Jonathan Falwell, and Christian Broadcasting Network President Gordon Robertson, was also scheduled, alongside Christian entertainment personalities such as Duck Dynasty alum Sadie Robertson and The Chosen star Jonathan Roumie. Officials estimated attendance at about 15,000; entry was free but required online registration and security screening.
Most speakers celebrated Christianity's ties to American history, a blending that critics flagged ahead of the prayer gathering as supporting Christian nationalism, per the AP. From the stage, the Rev. Robert Jeffress embraced the term, which is often taken as a pejorative. "If being a Christian nationalist means loving Jesus Christ and loving America, count me in," he said. Supporters described the festival as an effort to recommit the US to God and highlight the faith of some founders. One attendee said the founders made a covenant with God that explains the nation's success, per the Post. Public Citizen, a watchdog group, said the program resembled "a program for the Church of Trump" and diverged from Congress' intent for the 250th-anniversary commission. Protests were planned nearby.
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