With prayers and religious songs, Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States this Sunday in Washington. Thousands of people gathered for a “national prayer marathon” attended by several top officials from the Trump administration. Some see this event as an almost official showcase for Christian nationalism.
This movement has gained prominence since Donald Trump returned to power, through speeches by Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, a member of an ultraconservative evangelical church, or through religious events at the White House.
On the National Mall lawn, near the centers of power in the American capital, the public gathered in front of a stage resembling a church altar with stained glass windows depicting the foundation of the United States, celebrated for its 250 years.
Clergy members, including Protestant pastors and former Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan, evangelicals, and politicians are set to take the stage. The American president will kick off the event via video, followed by Pete Hegseth or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Celebrating God and country
In a post on his Truth Social network, Donald Trump wished participants a “good time.” While it is not uncommon to see a group of evangelical pastors come together and associate Christianity with nationalism, it is “very unusual” for members of the administration to participate, noted Sam Perry, a professor specializing in rhetoric at Baylor University in Texas.
“We must honor ‘history’ and ‘the foundations of our nation, which was built on Christian values, on the Bible’,” described evangelist Paula White, at the head of the “Office of Faith” at the White House and spiritual advisor to Donald Trump.
Pete Hegseth called for “rededicating this republic to God and to the country.” The Trump administration promotes “an American identity rooted in white Christianity” or in “European roots,” observes Sam Perry.
But neither the Declaration of Independence nor the Constitution mention “religion, God, or Jesus,” specified Julie Ingersoll, professor of religious studies at the University of Florida in the North.
