Thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Sunday for a Trump-backed prayer rally billed as a "rededication" of the United States as a Christian nation "under God" during the country's 250th anniversary year.
The daylong event, known as "Rededicate 250: A National Day of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving," was promoted by President Donald Trump as a chance to "rededicate America as one nation under God" as part of the Freedom 250 initiative marking the nation's semiquincentennial.
Organizers described the gathering as a national prayer celebration meant to give thanks for 250 years of American history and to seek divine protection for the next 250 years. The rally ran roughly nine hours, featuring continuous worship music, prayers, and speeches from religious leaders and political allies, according to Aljazeera.
Trump appeared in a pre-recorded video message from the White House, where he read verses from 2 Chronicles and urged Americans to embrace prayer as a force for national renewal.
He repeated earlier promises made at the National Prayer Breakfast that the gathering would help "bring religion back stronger" and formally "rededicate America as one nation under God." Several members of his administration delivered video remarks echoing themes of repentance, revival, and national blessing.
The Freedom 250 initiative, a partner effort linked to the National Park Foundation, framed the rally as part of a broader calendar of events commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Promotional materials invited "Americans from all across the country" to travel to Washington to pray, give thanks, and reaffirm the phrase "one nation under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, USA Today reported.
Attendees lined the Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capitol, some waving U.S. flags and Christian banners as worship music played from the main stage.
The rally's program leaned heavily on the idea of the United States as a nation with explicitly Christian roots, a narrative highlighted by speakers who cited stories such as George Washington praying at Valley Forge.
Historians and legal scholars have long disputed claims that the country was founded as a Christian nation, pointing instead to constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
Civil rights and interfaith groups also criticized the event, warning that it blurred constitutional boundaries and marginalized non-Christian Americans, as per the New York Times.
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