White House Schedules Mass Prayer Event for U.S. 250th Anniversary

The White House will host a mass prayer meeting on the National Mall on Sunday as part of events marking the United States' 250th anniversary. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson are listed as guest speakers. President Donald Trump is expected to address the crowd via video.

The gathering is scheduled to last approximately nine hours.

Organizers describe the event as an opportunity to rededicate the country to its religious foundations. Hegseth said in a video message that the meeting offers a chance to "rededicate this republic to God and country". Paula White, head of the White House's Faith Office, said last month that the event focuses on "the history and the foundations of our nation, which was built on Christian values, on the Bible".

Nearly all of the 20 listed faith leaders are evangelical Protestants, along with one rabbi and one retired Catholic archbishop. The event is open to Americans of every background, according to the organizers' website. Sam Perry, a professor at Baylor University, said previous administrations have held similar faith-based gatherings but noted that the current scale and administration leadership differ from past events.

Julie Ingersoll, a professor at the University of North Florida, said the speaker list suggests a particular view of American identity. The National Mall has hosted large public gatherings before, including the 1963 March on Washington. U.S. Constitution bars the establishment of an official religion while protecting religious expression.