Trump's national prayer event largely features Christian leaders
Some religious leaders have called the Christianity-centered event "intentionally exclusive."
Karissa WaddickWASHINGTON ‒ A national prayer event meant to unite the country will largely reflect just one faith.
President Donald Trump's May 17 National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving on the National Mall is designed to "gather a broad assembly of voices united by a love of God and country," according to a May 1 release.
"The National Mall will be the scene of a historic gathering as Americans of every background across the country prepare for the nation’s 250th birthday with Scripture, testimony, prayer, and rededication of our country as One Nation to God," the event description reads.
But of the 15 faith leaders participating in the Rededicate 250 event, 14 are Christian, including seven evangelical leaders and two Catholics, according to the news release. Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik is the only non-Christian religious leader listed as a participant.
Freedom 250, the nonprofit organization Trump created to plan his vision for the 250th milestone, told USA TODAY in March it was in talks with leaders from a variety of non-Christian religions for the event, including Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.
No representatives from those or other religions appear in the announced programming. Freedom 250 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Christianity-focused gathering comes as some historians and religious groups are accusing Trump of promoting Christian nationalism, rather than religious freedom, and misleadingly rewriting the story of the nation's founding.
Christian nationalism is based on the belief that the United States is a Christian nation.
Trump counts the Christian right as a critical part of his voting base. But in recent weeks, he has also faced backlash from supporters for posting on social media an AI image of himself as a Jesus figure and for feuding with Pope Leo XIV.
The Rev. Paul Raushenbush, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, a group suing the Trump administration, called the Christianity-heavy national prayer event "intentionally exclusive."
"This is really an affront to the American religious community," said Raushenbush, a Baptist minister. "They are using an event like this, which could be the opportunity to showcase the incredible diversity of American religious life, which is so rich and beautiful and powerful ... to rewrite American history."
The Interfaith Alliance ‒ a nonpartisan civil and religious rights organization ‒ filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice in February over what it described as an illegal lack of religious and ideological diversity. The DOJ's Religious Liberty Commission similarly includes mostly Protestant and Catholic leaders.
It has one Jewish representative. No other represented religions are represented on the commission, though there are some on its advisory boards.
A focus on Christianity
The predominantly Christian-focused religious event is the latest in a series of moves by Freedom 250 and other government entities that religious experts say appear aimed at promoting Christianity as the country’s religion. A quarter of the partner organizations listed on Freedom 250’s website are associated with Christianity, including National Religious Broadcasters, Angel Studios, the Museum of the Bible, and Pray.com.
The group also tapped PragerU, a conservative media nonprofit, and Hillsdale College, a small Christian school, to create historic education trucks touring the country for the anniversary. It used $10 million in taxpayer funds to build and transport the mobile museums.
A "Prayers and Proclamations" toolkit published on Freedom 250's website earlier this year promoted the Christian right's historical reinterpretations of events during the nation's founding.
The website for the May National Prayer event emphasizes Christianity. A video pinned to the top of the page shows an image of a cross in the middle of the American flag, plusaudio of a Bible reading. Further down, the page invites people to register their "church" to join the event.
The Department of the Interior allocated $100 million in taxpayer funds to Freedom 250 to bolster its plans for the country’s anniversary, though it is unclear whether those dollars will be used for the Rededicate 250 event.
Religious groups have also flagged what they say is a growing influence of Christian nationalism within the U.S. military. Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth has pushed overtly Christian messaging, including holding monthly Christian worship services at the Pentagon.
Karissa Waddick covers America's 250th anniversary for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
Contributing: BrieAnna J. Frank