Some religious leaders called the Christian-centered event “deliberately exclusive.”
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WASHINGTON — A national prayer event aimed at uniting the nation will primarily reflect just one faith.
President Donald Trump’s May 17 National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving on the National Mall is intended to “bring together a broad range of voices united by love for God and country,” according to a May 1 release.
“It will be a historic gathering place for Americans of all backgrounds from across the country to prepare for our nation’s 250th anniversary with the Bible, testimony, prayer, and a rededication of our nation to God,” the event description says.
However, 14 of the 15 faith leaders participating in the Reddedicate 250 event are Christian, including seven evangelical leaders and two Catholics, according to a news release. Orthodox Jewish rabbi Meir Soloveitchik is the only non-Christian religious leader listed as a participant.
Freedom 250, a nonprofit founded by President Trump to map out his 250 vision.th He told USA TODAY in March that he was consulting with leaders from a variety of non-Christian faiths in preparation for the milestone event., Includes Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, etc.
No representatives of these or other religions appear in the programs presented. Freedom 250 did not respond to requests for comment.
The Christian-focused rally comes as some historians and religious groups accuse Trump of promoting Christian nationalism rather than religious freedom and misleadingly rewriting the nation’s founding story.
Christian nationalism is based on the belief that the United States is a Christian nation.
Trump views the Christian Right as an important part of his voting base. But in recent weeks, he has faced backlash from supporters after posting an AI image of himself as Jesus on social media and over his feud with Pope Leo XIV.
The Rev. Paul Rauschenbusch, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, a group suing the Trump administration, called the national Christian prayer event “intentionally exclusive.”
“This is truly an insult to the American religious community,” said Rauschenbusch, a Baptist minister. “They could be using events like this as an opportunity to showcase the incredible diversity of American religious life, which is so rich, so beautiful and so powerful… They are rewriting American history.”
The Interfaith Alliance, a nonpartisan civil rights and religious rights group, filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department in February alleging an illegal lack of religious and ideological diversity. The Justice Department’s Religious Freedom Committee is similarly dominated by Protestant and Catholic leaders.
There is one Jewish representative. No other representative religions are represented on the main committee.
a focus on christianity
The religious event, which focuses primarily on Christianity, is the latest in a series of moves by Freedom 250 and other government agencies that religious experts say appear to be aimed at promoting Christianity as the national religion. A quarter of the partner organizations listed on the Freedom 250 website are Christian-related, including National Religious Broadcasting Corporation, Angel Studios, the Museum of the Bible, and Pray.com.
The group also teamed up with PragerU, a conservative media nonprofit, and Hillsdale College, a small Christian school, to create a historic education truck that will tour the country in preparation for the anniversary. $10 million in taxpayer funds was used to build and transport the traveling museum.
The “Prayers and Declarations” toolkit published on the Freedom 250 website earlier this year promoted a historical reinterpretation of the nation’s founding events by the Christian right.
The website for May’s National Prayer Event emphasizes Christianity. A video pinned to the top of the page shows an image of a cross in the center of an American flag, as well as audio of a Bible reading. Further down the page, people are encouraged to register their “church” to participate in the event.
The Department of the Interior has allocated $100 million in taxpayer funds to Freedom 250 to enhance National Day planning, but it is unclear whether that money will be used for the Ridicate 250 event.
Religious groups have also warned of the growing influence of Christian nationalism within the U.S. military. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth openly promotes the message of Christianity, including holding monthly Christian services at the Pentagon.
Carissa Wadick covers America’s 250th anniversary on USA TODAY. She can be reached at kwaddick@usatoday.com.
Contributor: BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
