Trump Administration Hosts National Prayer Event

The administration of United States President Donald Trump hosted a nine-hour prayer event on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on May 17, 2026. The gathering, titled “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving,” was organized as part of the administration’s efforts to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

According to the event’s official website, the purpose of the jubilee was to mark the “rededication of our country as One Nation to God.” The event took place from 9 a.m. To 6 p.m. Eastern time and featured a program consisting of performers, pastors, civil rights leaders, and Republican allies of the president.

President Donald Trump and other high-ranking administration officials participated in the rally through recorded video messages that were broadcast from the main stage. In his video appearance, Trump was shown seated behind the Resolute Desk in the White House. During the recording, he recited a speech from the Book of Chronicles attributed to God’s words to King Solomon, which promised protection to followers and destruction to those who forsake Him.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also provided a recorded message, using the platform to describe the United States as a country that has been uniquely shaped by what he termed the “Christian idea.”

Rubio contrasted this ideological foundation with the views of civilizations that existed before the Christian West. He asserted that most previous societies viewed history through “stagnant cycles,” citing examples such as the flooding of the Nile, the return of rains, and the cycle of the harvest. Rubio characterized that perspective of history as a “wheel to nowhere,” arguing instead that the Christian faith calls believers “outwards into the limitless darkness of the unknown.”

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina addressed the attendees in person, focusing on the source of American civil liberties. He told the crowd that the rights held by citizens do not originate from the federal government.

“Our rights don’t come from the government. No, our rights come from God, the king of kings.”

Senator Tim Scott

The daylong event included various musical and patriotic performances, including the singing of the National Anthem by Kathy Fain of Longview, Texas. Reports from The Washington Post and The Guardian indicated that thousands of people gathered on the National Mall to attend the rally.

The “Rededicate 250” event drew criticism from opponents who argued that the administration’s focus on a national rededication to God blurred the separation of church and state. These critics stated that such a blurring of boundaries contradicts the mandates established by the U.S. Constitution.