Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is set to headline a faith rally on the National Mall this weekend that includes speakers whom experts have characterized as Christian nationalists or extremists.
The event, titled “Rededicate 250,” is described as the faith-based component of America’s 250th birthday celebration.
According to The Guardian, the speaker lineup includes a Detroit pastor who called the Democratic Party’s platform demonic, a rabbi who defended the use of torture and authored the essay titled “The Virtue of Hate,” and a Christian radio host who said he would die in the fight to keep then-President Joe Biden out of the White House.
Along with an appearance by Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson are expected to attend. As The Guardian pointed out, there are no speakers from historically Black churches, people who identify as Muslim, mainline Protestants, or Indigenous faith leaders.
As Premier Christian News previously reported, Hegseth is a member of Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, a congregation of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). CREC founder Douglas Wilson is a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist. In addition, CREC pastors have appeared at Hegseth’s Pentagon prayer and worship services, including Wilson, who preached there in February.
Rededicate 250 is one of a series of events organised by Freedom 250, the private nonprofit launched by the White House in December 2025 as a partner to the bipartisan U.S. semiquincentennial commission established by Congress in 2016.
Freedom 250 is now under congressional investigation for “soliciting large private donations” while also offering donors exclusive access and other benefits tied to President Donald Trump.
In a letter sent to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, seven U.S. senators demanded the White House produce a list of donors who gave to Freedom 250 and who were allegedly promised benefits, including access to White House “VIP” events and ceremonial roles in the semiquincentennial.
“It is imperative that Congress and the public understand how decisions are made, who exercises control, and what guardrails exist to prevent inappropriate donor influence," the senators wrote.
"Absent clear rules, this structure risks blurring the line between legitimate civic fundraising and pay-for-play access tied to official government functions, an all too familiar feature of the current Administration."