Trump's National Prayer Event Draws Criticism for Lack of Religious Diversity
President Trump's May 17 National Jubilee of Prayer on the National Mall features 14 Christian leaders among 15 participants. Religious groups say the event sidelines non-Christian faiths despite promises of broad representation.
President Donald Trump's National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving is set for May 17 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The event, organized by Freedom 250, Trump's nonprofit for the nation's 250th anniversary, bills itself as a gathering of "Americans of every background."
But the announced lineup tells a different story. Of the 15 faith leaders listed as participants, 14 are Christian. Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik is the only non-Christian on the roster.
Freedom 250 told USA TODAY in March it was in talks with leaders from Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. None appear in the final programming.
The Rev. Paul Raushenbush, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, called the event "intentionally exclusive."
"They are using an event like this, which could be the opportunity to showcase the incredible diversity of American religious life, to rewrite American history," said Raushenbush, a Baptist minister.
The Interfaith Alliance filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice in February over what it described as an illegal lack of religious and ideological diversity. The DOJ's Religious Liberty Commission similarly includes mostly Protestant and Catholic leaders.
Freedom 250 used $10 million in taxpayer funds to build and transport historic education trucks touring the country for the anniversary. The Department of the Interior allocated $100 million in taxpayer funds to Freedom 250 for anniversary plans.
The event's website features a cross in the middle of the American flag and invites people to register their "church" to join. Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth has also pushed overtly Christian messaging, including holding monthly Christian worship services at the Pentagon.
Religious experts say the pattern reflects a broader effort to promote Christianity as the country's official religion, a concern that has grown louder as the 250th anniversary approaches.
