Thousands Gather on National Mall for Prayer Rally Ahead of U.S. 250th Anniversary

Thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington on Sunday for a daylong prayer rally organized to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land," Trump said.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and House Speaker Mike Johnson also addressed the gathering through video messages.

Speaker Mike Johnson led the crowd in a prayer of rededication, thanking God for guiding the nation since its founding. "Heavenly Father, we thank you," Johnson said. " Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina spoke about Christianity's role in shaping the nation and its connection to the Civil Rights Movement.

, praised the encouragement to rededicate America to God.

The gathering was organized by Freedom 250, a public-private group working with the White House. The event featured appearances from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Bishop Robert Barron, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, evangelist Franklin Graham and performances by Christian artist Chris Tomlin.

Progressive groups staged counterprogramming, including projections of protest slogans onto the National Gallery of Art. "Trump's 'Rededicate 250' rally on the National Mall is an attempt to turn the United States into an authoritarian theocracy," the Interfaith Alliance wrote in a social media post.