Thousands of people streamed onto the National Mall in Washington on Sunday for a daylong prayer rally billed as "a rededication of our country as One Nation under God." The event, called Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving, coincided with celebrations marking America's 250th anniversary of independence.
The gathering took place against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, where worship music blared from a stage featuring arched stained-glass windows and grand columns resembling a federal building. A large white cross stood near the stage as attendees gathered despite light rain.
President Donald Trump was expected to address the crowd via video message. Other top Republicans on the program included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana. The event featured many of Trump's longtime evangelical supporters, including Paula White-Cain of the White House Faith Office and evangelist Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse.
What the Left Is Saying
The event drew sharp criticism from progressive religious leaders who argued it represented a narrow vision of American spirituality at odds with the nation's religious diversity.
We are deeply concerned that what is really being rededicated is a nation to a very narrow and ideological part of the Christian faith that betrays our nation's fundamental commitment to religious freedom, said Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, a Baptist minister who leads the progressive Christian organization Sojourners.
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, noted the religious diversity of early America, including Jews, Muslims and Indigenous people. I want to shine a light on America's history as a nation that welcomes, celebrates, and protects people of all faiths and those of no faith, he said.
Progressive groups staged counterprogramming throughout the weekend. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates strict separation of church and state, joined with Faithful America and other organizations to offer an alternative message. On Thursday evening, the Interfaith Alliance projected protest slogans onto an exterior wall of the National Gallery of Art, including Demanding 'Democracy not theocracy' and 'The separation of church and state is good for both.'
What the Right Is Saying
Supporters framed the event as a celebration of America's Judeo-Christian heritage and an affirmation of religious freedom.
Our founders knew two simple truths, Hegseth said in a promotional video for the event. Our rights don't come from government; they come from God. And a nation is only as strong as its faith.
The conservative Christian lineup featured guests who argue the United States was founded as a Christian nation, a narrative disputed by many historians but embraced by evangelical voters who form a core part of Trump's political coalition. The event's organizers said it sought to unite Americans in gratitude for 250 years of national independence.
Only one non-Christian religious leader appeared on the main program: Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, who serves on the Trump administration's Religious Liberty Commission alongside White-Cain, Graham and Catholic clerics Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron. Organizers said the event welcomed Americans of all faiths while emphasizing its Christian roots.
What the Numbers Show
The Rededicate 250 event was organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership backed by the White House. Congressional Democrats have questioned the nonprofit's structure and finances, arguing it serves as an end run around a separate commission charted by Congress a decade ago to prepare semiquincentennial events.
While official attendance figures were not immediately released, thousands streamed onto the Mall throughout the day, filling the area between the Washington Monument and the Capitol reflecting pool. The event ran from morning into evening with continuous worship music and speeches.
The gathering represented one of several major faith-based events in Washington this year as part of America's 250th anniversary celebrations. A separate congressionally chartered commission has organized its own slate of semiquicentennial programming with broader interfaith representation.
The Bottom Line
The prayer rally underscores the prominent role religious conservatives have played in Trump's political coalition and highlights tensions over the intersection of faith and public life in America. Critics argue the event's Christian-centered framing excludes millions of Americans who practice other religions or none at all, while supporters say it celebrates shared national values rooted in spiritual tradition.
Congressional Democrats are expected to continue scrutinizing Freedom 250's finances and structure in coming weeks. The debate over how America should mark its semiquicentennial reflects broader divisions over the nation's identity and the role religion should play in public life.