President Donald Trump used the stage of the 74th annual National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5 to announce a major national prayer initiative tied to the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence, while highlighting what he described as a renewed spiritual awakening in the United States.
Speaking five months ahead of the July 4, 2026, semiquincentennial celebration, the president said the milestone offers Americans an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s religious foundations. “This prayer breakfast comes at a special time for our country as we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence,” Trump said, according to EWTN News.
Trump announced that the White House will host a public gathering titled “Rededicate 250” on May 17 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The event, he said, will be held “to rededicate America as one nation under God.” He added, “We’re inviting Americans from all across the country to come together on our National Mall to pray, to give thanks.”
Referencing the Declaration of Independence, the president linked the nation’s founding ideals to belief in God. “When our founders proclaimed the immortal truths that echoed around the world and down all the way through time, they declared that all of us are made free and equal by the hand of our Creator,” he said, according to EWTN News.
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The president connected the upcoming event to his recently launched “America Prays” initiative, which encourages Americans to pray for the nation and one another. As part of that effort, the White House released a 22-page document highlighting what it described as the Christian roots of the United States, including historical prayers, sermons, and presidential proclamations.
Trump also announced new guidance from the U.S. Department of Education intended to protect religious speech and prayer in public schools. Acknowledging that the policy may face legal challenges, he told attendees, “We’ll win it,” according to EWTN News.
Addressing cultural trends, the president said he believes the country is experiencing a resurgence of Christian faith, pointing to increased Bible sales in 2025 and greater participation in religious services among young people. A White House spokesperson cited research from the Barna Group indicating higher church attendance among millennial and Generation Z Christians, according to the EWTN News report.
During the breakfast, Trump highlighted what he called examples of faith in action by inviting two young counselors, Emma Foltz and London Smith, as guests. According to the president, the two helped save 14 girls during a deadly July 2025 flood at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp where 27 people lost their lives.
“Almost 250 years after our Founding Fathers took one of the greatest leaps of faith in human history, the story of Emma and London shows us that faith of the American people remains unbroken, actually became stronger than ever,” Trump said, according to EWTN News. He added, “And it reminds us that prayers strengthen, prayers heal, prayer empowers, and prayer saves. Quite simply, prayer is America’s superpower.”
Trump also used the address to point to policies he said have benefited Christians domestically and abroad, including actions related to religious speech by clergy, abortion funding restrictions, and protections he described for children and women’s sports. He further referenced international actions, including December 2025 military strikes in Nigeria aimed at combating the persecution of Christians, saying, “When Christians come under attack, they know they’re going to be attacked violently and viciously by President Trump,” according to EWTN News.
Several lawmakers and Cabinet members attended the breakfast, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Attorney General Pam Bondi. For Catholics and other Christians, the president framed the morning’s message as a call to renewed public faith as the nation approaches a historic anniversary, repeatedly returning to the line he emphasized throughout the speech: “Prayer is America’s superpower.”
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