Rededicate 250 Draws 15,000 to National Mall as Trump Joins America 250 Event by Video
Updated
Updated · NBC Washington · May 17
Rededicate 250 Draws 15,000 to National Mall as Trump Joins America 250 Event by Video
7 articles · Updated · NBC Washington · May 17
About 15,000 people were expected on the National Mall Sunday for Rededicate 250, a free RSVP-only prayer and thanksgiving event billed as one of the first major gatherings for the U.S. semiquincentennial.
President Donald Trump and several administration officials were set to participate, with Trump and other speakers addressing the crowd by video while Cabinet members, Republican leaders and clergy appeared in person.
Road closures and a wide security perimeter were in effect from early morning through 8 p.m. around 7th to 15th streets, with police urging visitors to use mass transit.
D.C. police said they had coordinated for more than a year with the Secret Service, FBI and other agencies and had identified no specific credible threats despite heightened concern over political violence.
The event, organized by nonprofit Freedom 250, has also drawn criticism from opponents who say it promotes a Christian nationalist reading of U.S. history and blurs church-state separation.
How will this faith-based event shape the blueprint for future U.S. national anniversaries?
As America's 250th is marked by prayer, what does this reveal about its evolving cultural identity?