Photo: Alamy
Thousands of people gathered Sunday on the National Mall in Washington for a daylong prayer rally organizers described as a “rededication of our country as One Nation under God.”
Set against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, the event featured worship music, prayer and speeches emphasizing the role of Christianity in American history.
The stage featured stained-glass-style imagery depicting the nation’s founders, along with a white cross beneath columns designed to resemble a federal building.
President Donald Trump appeared in a prerecorded video filmed in the Oval Office, reading a passage from 2 Chronicles that is frequently cited by advocates of the view that the United States was founded as a Christian nation.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways,” Trump read, “then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
The footage previously aired during “America Reads the Bible” held last month.
Several senior government officials also spoke during the rally, which coincided with national celebrations marking 250 years of American independence. Participants included War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Most of the event’s featured speakers were prominent evangelical Christian leaders, including Paula White-Cain and Franklin Graham.
Organizers included Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, who told attendees that “Antisemitism is utterly un-American.”
In a prerecorded message, Hegseth encouraged attendees to pray to “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” and cited President George Washington’s faith.
“Let us pray without ceasing. Let us pray for our nation on bended knee,” Hegseth said.
Vice President JD Vance also shared prerecorded remarks with the audience.
The event was organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership supported by the White House.
Among the many music leaders was Chris Tomlin, who led the closing performance on Sunday.
