Critics have denounced the event as a blurring of the separation of church and state mandated by the US Constitution.
In Pictures Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebook x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Kathy Fain from Longview, Texas, sings the National Anthem during 'Rededicate 250', a prayer gathering on May 17 [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo] By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 17 May 2026 17 May 2026 The administration of United States President Donald Trump has hosted a nine-hour prayer event on the National Mall in Washington, DC, as part of its efforts to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary.
Sunday’s event was called “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving”, and it took place from 9am to 6pm Eastern US time (13:00 to 22:00 GMT).
On the jubilee’s website, organisers explained that their aim was to mark “rededication of our country as One Nation to God”.
The event featured performers, pastors and civil rights leaders, as well as Trump’s Republican allies, among them Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.
“Our rights don’t come from the government,” Scott told the crowd. “No, our rights come from God, the king of kings.” Members of the Trump administration, including the president himself, also recorded video messages that were broadcast from the stage.
Trump’s video showed him seated behind the Resolute Desk in the White House, reciting a speech from the Book of Chronicles that God gave to King Solomon, promising protection to his followers and destruction to those who forsake him.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, used his video to describe the US as a country uniquely shaped by the “Christian idea”.
“Before the Christian West, most societies – and civilisations, for that matter – thought in stagnant cycles: the flooding of the Nile, the return of the rains, the cycle of the harvest. History for them was a wheel to nowhere,” Rubio said.
Advertisement “But our faith calls us outwards into the limitless darkness of the unknown. It tells us to go forth and preach the gospel to the world as a witness unto all nations and to the ends of the earth.” The event was not without controversy, though. Critics pointed out that only one speaker, a rabbi, was non-Christian.
Some religious leaders even rejected the event as a political stunt, rather than a sincere testament to faith.
Paul Raushenbush, a reverend and president of the Interfaith Alliance, posted on social media that his objections did not stem from an “antipathy towards religion”. Rather, he said his faith compels him to cherish the “rich tapestry of beliefs” that come together in the US.
“Rededicate 250 is a betrayal of America’s founding values guaranteed in the First Amendment – which made clear that there shall be no establishment of religion by the government and that each one of us should be free to live out our beliefs in our own way,” Raushenbush wrote.
Traditionally, the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution has been interpreted as prohibiting the government from establishing or imposing religious beliefs on its citizens.
But critics argue the Trump administration has blurred the separation between church and state, including by having regular prayer services at the Department of Defense.
Trump, however, has accused the federal government of “ anti-Christian bias “. He launched a task force last year to root out the purported discrimination.
Evangelical Christians form a pillar in Trump’s right-wing base of support. The demographic is a powerful force during election seasons in the US, and Trump has sought to rally Christian voters ahead of major votes.
Their views could reshape how the US Constitution is interpreted. A survey from the Pew Research Center released last week found a slight uptick in the number of US adults who believe Christianity should be named as the country’s official religion. Seventeen percent now share that view, up from 13 percent in 2024.
That said, Pew researchers noted that a majority of Americans, roughly 54 percent, still believe in the separation of church and state.
About 52 percent also said that “conservative Christians have gone too far in trying to push their religious values in the government and public schools”.
Thousands of participants were expected at the National Mall to participate in the 'Rededicate 250' event, part of the Trump administration's plans to mark the country's 250th anniversary. [AFP] Advertisement The 'Rededicate 250' event featured speeches, remarks and musical performances from artists like singer-songwriter Chris Tomlin and the United States Navy Band. [Seth Herald/Reuters] The prayer rally attracted criticism, even from some faith leaders, who warned it was a 'political rally' in the guise of a faith service. [AFP] Other critics warned that the government-sponsored rally eroded the separation between church and state required under the US Constitution. [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo] Political leaders from within Trump's political orbit spoke at the event or recorded video statements, including Secretary of State Rubio. [Eric Lee/Reuters] Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared a video that was aired at the prayer event, sharing a story about the first US president, George Washington. [Eric Lee/Reuters] Advertisement Senator Tim Scott used his remarks to link the US civil rights movement to the tradition of faith in the Black community. [Eric Lee/Reuters] One attendee used his T-shirt to pay tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September. [AFP] According to the Pew Research Center, some 17 percent of US adults believe Christianity should be named the official religion of the country. [AFP] But a majority of Americans, 54 percent, still believe in the separation of church and state, according to the Pew Research Center. [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo]
