Thousands Attend Prayer Rally on National Mall for Rededicate 250

Thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington on Sunday for a daylong prayer rally billed as a rededication of the United States as "One Nation under God." The event, part of observances marking 250 years since American independence, featured worship music and a stage design with a clear Christian theme, including stained-glass-style imagery of the nation's founders alongside a white cross.

President Donald Trump was expected to address the gathering via a video message. Other senior officials scheduled to appear included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The program, titled "Rededicate 250," was dominated by Christian religious leaders, many of whom are longtime evangelical supporters of Trump. They included Paula White-Cain, a White House Faith Office adviser, and evangelist Franklin Graham. The lineup also featured Catholic clerics Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron. Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, who serves on an administration religious liberty commission, was the only non-Christian religious leader listed.

Statements from participants and critics highlighted a continuing...