The Trump administration revealed to the Daily Caller its plans for an event on the National Mall focused on commemorating America 250 through worship early this summer.
President Donald Trump announced last Thursday that his administration plans to hold a faith event on the National Mall over the summer, in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. The event, titled ‘Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving,’ is set to take place on May 17.
Acts will include Christian singers, religious leaders and personas, and members of the president’s cabinet. The events will take place over the course of the entire day, from 6am to 6pm. Doors will open at 4:30 am.
The festivities hope to “rededicate” the country by means of “speech, song, and storytelling,” according to Freedom 250, an organization created to plan the celebrations in conjunction with the White House.
Senior Advisor to the President Vince Haley spoke with the Daily Caller about these upcoming events. He shared how he hopes to redirect the country into one that prays for its leaders and adheres to the pledge of “one nation under God.”
The event will not just be a day of prayer, Haley explained, but a day of worship through speech and song, and a day of giving thanks for country’s history of success and prosperity.
“This particular event will surely remind people of the work of God in American life,” Haley told the Caller.
“So many messages don’t reach people because they are culturally not valued, but we value celebrating and recognizing people of faith, and how people of faith have understood God to be active in the 250 year history of our country,” he added.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 24: Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America gives U.S. President Donald Trump a holy cross during a Greek Independence Day celebration at the White House on March 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump recognized Greek members of his staff and cabinet and thanked “Greeks For Trump” while recognizing Greek Independence Day. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Haley said the administration is in “deep conversation” with a number of musicians, artists, and other potential participants in the day of worship.
“So let’s say Secretary Hegseth speaks there. He could talk about the details behind Washington’s evacuation under fog from Brooklyn in 1776 otherwise the army is decimated, and people consider that to be a miraculous event,” Haley said when mentioning potential speakers.
President Donald Trump has often spoken about his hope to redirect the country towards faith, saying at a July 2025 rally, “As we chart our course toward the next 250 years, let us rededicate ourselves to one nation under God.”
Haley noted that the president considers himself to be a fierce defender of religion. He told the Caller that President George Washington’s farewell address has shaped Trump’s vision for the future of America.
Washington famously stated, “Religion and morality are indispensable supports” for “political prosperity.”
The country has been on a religious rise in the last year, especially among Generation Z. 45% of Americans between the ages of 18-29 consider themselves Christians, according to a 2025 Pew Research poll. President Trump proudly mentioned in his National Prayer Breakfast address that church attendance had gone up almost twice the rate as the year prior. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: GOP Reps Unveil Bill To Tackle Heart Of Christian Persecution In Nigeria)
“Like President George Washington, we believe that religious people and religious institutions are at the heart of American success,” Haley told the Caller.
The event is set to take place on the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress’s observation of a day of “fasting, humiliation, and prayer” in hopes of seeking divine fortune for the future of the colonies. This day of observance came just two days after a resolution was passed that instructed the Congress to propose the Declaration of Independence. (RELATED: Historically Catholic University Appoints Professor Who Calls Abortion Bans ‘Sexual Violence)
“We want to support a culture in which people feel emboldened to live out their faith and go to church,” Haley told the Caller.