WASHINGTON — Thousands gathered on the National Mall Sunday for a day of prayer, worship music and patriotic speeches in an event celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday that supporters hail as a public affirmation of faith in America but critics see as a display of exclusion that blurs the line between religion and politics.
The event, titled “Rededicate 250,” brought together Trump administration officials, conservative Christian leaders and musicians. Organizers billed this as an opportunity to “solemnly rededicate our country as one nation under God.”
Participants from across the country described the gathering as a response to what they see as a decline of religious values in public life.
“I think we’ve definitely seen a turnaround, and it hasn’t been for the good of our country,” Minnesota resident Debra DeGuiseppi told NBC News.
“There are spiritual forces seeking to destroy our nation, and they are very bold right now,” DeGuiseppi said, describing what she called a “spiritual attack” on the country.
Joe Johnson, from Asheville, North Carolina, said he attended because he believes faith is fundamental to the country’s future.
“Without God, we wouldn’t go anywhere,” Johnson said. “We see what happens without God.”
The programming included speeches from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as well as remarks from more than a dozen Christian religious leaders and a rabbi.
The event also attracted some criticism.
The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, argued that it promoted a narrow view of American religious identity.
“This is an opportunity for America to celebrate the diversity that is our religious heritage,” Raushenbush told NBC News on Sunday. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing with Rededicate is actually an effort to betray this heritage that we have and say instead that there’s a tradition that really matters, and that’s the one they’re going to celebrate.”
President Donald Trump and his administration have increasingly embraced overt symbols of religion in public life, including Oval Office prayer circles, the Justice Department’s anti-Christian bias task force, and a message deleted since on Trump’s social media page that described him as a Christ-like savior. (Trump said he thought it showed him as a doctor.)
The event was organized by Freedom 250, a Trump-backed public-private organization that is planning a series of events this summer ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary.
