White House to host mass prayer event to promote Christian origins of the US
Key takeaways
- By: FRANCE 24 Pastor Paula White (2nd L) and other faith leaders pray behind US President Donald Trump during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 1, 2025.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson are all listed as guest speakers.
- Muscular Christian nationalism has enjoyed a prominent platform since Trump's return to power, and evangelicals form a core element of the president's support base.
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The White House is making prayer a focal point of this weekend’s celebrations marking the US's 250th anniversary, staging a large-scale mass prayer that underscores the Trump administration’s wider push to amplify Christianity’s role in public and political life.
By: FRANCE 24 Pastor Paula White (2nd L) and other faith leaders pray behind US President Donald Trump during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 1, 2025. © Jim Watson, AFP Top Trump administration officials will address a mass prayer meeting in the heart of Washington Sunday – an event organisers bill as reclaiming the country's religious foundations, but critics say is a quasi-official rally for Christian nationalism.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson are all listed as guest speakers. President Donald Trump is expected to address the crowd via video.