Thousands Gather for Rededicate 250 Prayer Rally on National Mall

Tens of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for 'Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,' an event calling for national spiritual renewal ahead of the United States' 250th anniversary. Organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership backed by the White House, the rally featured prayers, testimonies, and speeches centered on rededicating the nation as 'One Nation Under God.' Donald Trump addressed attendees via pre-recorded video, citing 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, and promoted the event on Truth Social. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered a video message urging Americans to follow George Washington's example of prayer. House Speaker Mike Johnson delivered a prayer of rededication in person, while Senator Tim Scott spoke on faith in the civil rights movement, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared in the rally program. Reverend Franklin Graham drew particular scrutiny for a pre-recorded speech describing the United States as 'morally rotten' and 'completely sick with sin,' specifically citing transgenderism and societal violence. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference also called for a spiritual reset. While organizers described the gathering as a non-partisan voluntary act of faith, critics pushed back forcefully. The Interfaith Alliance and constitutional law experts raised concerns that a government-backed initiative hosting a sectarian prayer event conflicts with the Constitution's establishment clause and the nation's commitment to pluralistic religious freedom, invoking the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli. Protest artist Robin Bell projected counter-messages reading 'Rededicate America to Democracy' on the National Gallery of Art.