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Postcards from the Rededicate250 White Christian Nationalist Event on the DC National Mall

Robert P. Jones — Tue, 19 May 2026 17:50:05 GMT

*NOTE: The following article is crossposted from Redeeming Democracy by Robert P. Jones .

I spent half the day on Sunday down on the DC National Mall attending Rededicate250, an event sponsored by the White House as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation. I had the opportunity to talk briefly about the experience on CNN and on NPR’s “Morning Edition”. But I’m happy to share here a portrait of the bad faith I encountered on the National Mall, ahead of a fuller conversation and I will have this Friday night at 7:20 pm ET as part of our Countering White Christian Nationalism monthly series. Hope you’ll tune in!

Thanks,
Robby

Postcards from the Rededicate250 White Christian Nationalist Event in DC

My wife Jodi Kanter is a performance studies scholar. Over the years, she’s taught me how to read a stage. As I made my way onto the green grass of the National Mall in Washington, DC, even before I could make out the audio and hear the words of any speakers, I was struck by the setting.

The Walkup: Postcards from the Rededicate250 event in Washington, DC

The stage itself was strategically placed in the shadow of the majestic Washington monument. It was framed vertically by four 40-foot fluted columns (Trump is obsessed with columns) and a faux stone cornice with dental molding, evoking a federal government building.

The backdrop featured a different faux stone wall, this one mimicking a church with three arched stained-glass windows. The largest window, dominating the stage, contained a 30-foot white cross—notably not a crucifix that would be found in Catholic spaces but an empty cross that would be familiar sight in evangelical Protestant services.

With this staging, the attack on the First Amendment to the Constitution could not have been be more clear: In this portrayal, an evangelical Protestant church is literally embedded inside the structures of government.

The content followed the setting. When I first arrived, someone near me jokingly but enthusiastically exclaimed, “Look, Jesus is speaking!” On stage was actor Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus on the series “The Chosen.” Even beyond his TV fame, Roumie is a familiar figure and hero to this audience, having also appeared at Christian Right events such as the 2023 March for Life in DC. One couple with whom I spoke travel all over the country to hear Roumie speak when they’re not volunteering as crowd extras on the set of “The Chosen” (making their own costumes and giving a donation of $1,200 each to the show for the privilege).

But mostly I felt the sickening force of the powerful theological distortions on the stage:

Evangelical Christianity as the glowing heart of the United States government.
The absurdity of a bespoke-suited Jesus, wearing a shiny lapel pin depicting the instrument of his execution painted with the stars and stripes.

The speaker lineup also made it clear that this event was in no way intended to represent the rich diversity of America. All of the featured public officials were Republicans in Trump’s close orbit. Nearly all the religious leaders were Christian, many drawn from Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission or his so-called “faith advisory group.” The overwhelming majority were from the white evangelical Protestant world—a group that comprises only 13% of the public and only 20% of American Christians.

As someone who has studied religion in the public square for more than two decades, this event marks yet another bright line being crossed by the Trump administration, a further crass instrumentalization of religion for political ends. In the MAGA world, the gentler spirit of a more inclusive civil religion—present in my memories of the public celebrations of the bicentennial in 1976—has been exorcised in favor of the malevolent militancy of Christian nationalism. The call for salvation of individuals and the nation, not just through God but through “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” came not just from the likes of Franklin Graham but U.S. government cabinet member Pete Hegseth.

Overall, the vibe of Rededicate250 was somewhere between an evangelical outdoor revival meeting and a Trump rally. As you can see in the photos I took below, the attendees represented an exceedingly narrow slice of the American public and even American Christianity. I’d estimate the crowd was 95% white. While there were some families in attendance, most participants seemed to be in their 50s or 60s. You were just as likely to encounter folks decked out in Christian t-shirts as Trump merch (or both). Of the dozens I talked to, all but one (a young Catholic man who was wary of this mixing of partisan politics and faith) were some variety of white evangelical Protestant.

It was deflating to see an official event celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation clearly taking aim at one of our most cherished and hard-one achievements, the separation of church and state that ensures a government free of religious establishment and a people free to practice a wide variety of religions or none.

As I exited past “The Freedom Truck,” however, I found hope in remembering what the data clearly show: that this narrow Christian nationalist vision is one rejected not only by two-thirds of the country by even by most Christians.

My New Book, BACKSLIDE, Now Available.

My new book, BACKSLIDE: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy, is now available for pre-order wherever books are sold.

I’ve been working on this book for the last three years, wrestling with this Christian nationalist movement that was on display at the Rededicate250 event. It’s the most personal, unflinching, and urgent book I’ve written. And it’s almost here. I’m grateful for the kind words Joy offered about the book:

"An urgent call to save our democracy―and the Christian faith―from the scourge of religious nationalism. Robert P. Jones infuses his call for an American reawakening in the language of the faith so many of us grew up with―one that prioritizes brotherhood over separation, and care for the least of these over selfishness and hate.”
―Joy Reid, New York Times best-selling author and host of The Joy Reid Show

BACKSLIDE is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio book everywhere books are sold. (Note: Ordering through Bookshop or Amazon using the links below helps support my Redeeming Democracy newsletter, while ordering a signed copy helps support my local independent bookstore, People’s Book).

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Countering White Christian Nationalism, Part 5: Apostasy

The Joy Reid Show — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:44:02 GMT

On episode five of TJRS - Countering White Christian Nationalism, Joy and tackle the subject of Donald Trump, MAGA Christianity* ... and not just blasphemy, but apostasy.

View the whole series here.

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New Data: Most Republicans Now Hold a Favorable View of Christian Nationalism

Robert P. Jones — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:39:25 GMT

*NOTE: The following article is crossposted from Redeeming Democracy by Robert P. Jones . And two announcements:

My new book, BACKSLIDE: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy, is now available for pre-order.
The next episode of “Countering White Christian Nationalism” with Joy Reid and Robert P. Jones is this Wednesda…

My Take on PRRI's New Survey: Only 35% Approve of Trump’s Handling of Immigration

Robert P. Jones — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:53:42 GMT

*NOTE: The following article is crossposted from Redeeming Democracy by Robert P. Jones . Scroll down for discount code to pre-order my new book, BACKSLIDE: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy.

PRRI’S large new survey covers a lot of ground related to immigration, including support for how President Trump’s second a…

Autocratization in the USA

Robert P. Jones — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:35:53 GMT

*NOTE: The following article is crossposted from .

“Autocratization in the USA.”

That’s the title of the section describing America in the new 10th annual Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) report that was just released this month.

In my forthcoming book, Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy (see below for two …

Countering White Christian Nationalism, Part 4: Predators

The Joy Reid Show — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:42:20 GMT

On Part Four of our Countering White Christian Nationalism series, Joy and Robby are joined by journalist , whose reporting focuses on the Christian far right, discuss the wave of predators being uncovered among the MAGA Christian right, and whether White Christian nationalists are ignoring the revelations about Trump and Epstein.

Mapping Christian Nationalism Across All 50 States

Robert P. Jones — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 22:33:20 GMT

On our monthly “Countering White Christian Nationalism” segments—airing on the third Wednesday of every month at 7pm ET— and I discuss the threat this ideology presents to American democracy (and to the integrity of American churches). But how do we measure this worldview, and how prevalent is it?

Just ahead of President Trump’s first State of the Union…

Countering White Christian Nationalism Part 3: The Preacher vs The Prophet

The Joy Reid Show — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 05:22:19 GMT

In part three of our Countering White Christian Nationalist series, Joy and Robby tackle the tough case of the Texas Democratic primary, in which two popular progressive candidates: Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico, meet at the intersection of faith and politics, which Robby describes as a clash between “the preacher and the prophet.” It’s a fascinat…

Countering White Christian Nationalism, Part 2: The Church of ICE

The Joy Reid Show — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:58:21 GMT

In this flashback to our January 23 episode, white Christian nationalism and its growing grip on American politics take center stage in this conversation as Joy Reid and of break down footage from a Minnesota church led by a pastor who also serves as an ICE field director, raising questions about faith, power, and immigration enforcement. In this episode, we examine how this movement departs from core Christian teachings and fuels authoritarian policies. The discussion connects history, ideology, and the fight over who gets to define Christianity in public life.

ABOUT JOY REID:
Joy-Ann Lomena Reid (AKA Joy Reid) is a best-selling American author, political journalist and TV host. She was a national correspondent for MSNBC and is best known for hosting the Emmy-nominated, NAACP Award-winning political commentary and analysis show, The ReidOut, from 2020 to 2025. Her previous anchoring credits include The Reid Report (2014–2015) and AM Joy (2016–2020).

ABOUT ROBERT P. (ROBBY) JONES:

Robert P. Jones is the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and New York Times bestselling author. His newest book is Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy (09/08/2026). He is also the author of The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future; White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, which won a 2021 American Book Award; and The End of White Christian America, which won the prestigious 2019 Grawemeyer Award in Religion.

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Chapters
00:00 Welcome to the Joy Reid Show!
06:06Welcome, Robert P. Jones!
11:18 How MAGA Churches see Jesus?
16:25 Why is a Fixation with Inmegrants?
22:11 What Can We Do About the Situation?
26:50 Final Thoughts

Countering White Christian Nationalism, Part 1: How Embedded Is This Ideology in American Churches?

The Joy Reid Show — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:03:08 GMT

In this first episode of our special monthly series, Joy Reid and of and break down the dangers of White Christian Nationalism, and how it has overtaken our democracy; how embedded it is in white Christian churches, and how to push back.

What do you think? Can White Christian Nationalism be stopped before it fully takes over?

ABOUT JOY REID:
Joy-Ann Lomena Reid (AKA Joy Reid) is a best-selling American author, political journalist and TV host. She was a national correspondent for MSNBC and is best known for hosting the Emmy-nominated, NAACP Award-winning political commentary and analysis show, The ReidOut, from 2020 to 2025. Her previous anchoring credits include The Reid Report (2014–2015) and AM Joy (2016–2020).

ABOUT ROBERT P. (ROBBY) JONES:

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A TJRS Special: Unpacking Christian Nationalism with PRRI's Robert Jones

Joy-Ann Reid — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:30:27 GMT

In this special bonus episode of The Joy Reid Show, Joy sits down with Dr. Robert P. Jones, founder and president of the Public Religion Research Institute to unpack the rise of White Christian Nationalism and its dangerous impact on America. They discuss Project 2025, the growing influence of white evangelicals, and how nationalism is reshaping U.S. politics. Dr. Jones dives deep into the history of Christian nationalism, its role in fueling extremism, and the challenges it poses to American democracy. He opens up about the unsettling alliance between religion and politics, the racial tensions escalating in the nation, and what’s at stake for America’s future.

ABOUT ROBERT P. (ROBBY) JONES:

Subscribe to Robert’s Substack: Redeeming Democracy:

Check out the Public Religion Research Institute’s data and research here.

Subscribe to Robert P. Jones Substack: https://www.whitetoolong.net/

Check out Robbie’s books in our store:

The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: and the Path to a Shared American Future

White Too Long (Paperback)

The end of White Christian America

White Too Long (Hardback)

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