Hegseth to Headline 250th-Anniversary Faith Rally With Christian Nationalist Speakers
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 13
Hegseth to Headline 250th-Anniversary Faith Rally With Christian Nationalist Speakers
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 13
Pete Hegseth will headline this weekend’s Rededicate 250 rally on the National Mall, a White House-partnered semiquincentennial event whose speaker list includes figures experts describe as Christian nationalist or extremist.
The lineup pairs Hegseth with Marco Rubio and Mike Johnson but excludes Muslims, historically Black churches, Indigenous faith leaders and mainline Protestants, reinforcing criticism that the event reflects a narrow conservative Christian vision.
Several featured speakers have records of incendiary rhetoric: Lorenzo Sewell called the Democratic platform “demonic,” Eric Metaxas said in 2020 he would die to keep Joe Biden out of the White House, and Rabbi Meir Soloveichik has defended torture.
The event also deepens scrutiny of Hegseth’s own religious politics, after reports on his anti-Muslim writings, Pentagon prayer services and ties to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, whose founder says Hegseth broadly shares its worldview.
Rededicate 250 is being organized by Freedom 250, a nonprofit launched by the White House in December 2025 that is already under congressional investigation over redirected federal funds and alleged sale of access to Trump.
As America's religious landscape diversifies, how can a national celebration centered on one faith tradition be truly unifying?
Beyond a single day of prayer, what defines success for the organizers' intended 'movement of renewal'?
With $10M in public funds for educational trucks, what is the plan for representing diverse historical viewpoints?
"Rededicate 250": Faith, Funding, and Controversy in America's 250th Anniversary Celebration
Overview
The "Rededicate 250" event, set for May 17, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington D.C., is a major faith-based gathering organized by Freedom 250 as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. Its main goal is to unite Americans in prayer and worship, aiming to "solemnly rededicate our country as One Nation under God." The event's timing connects to a 1776 call by General George Washington for a day of prayer, linking historical tradition with modern religious expression. This highlights the event's strong Christian focus and its role in shaping the anniversary's national narrative.