Speakers include evangelical leaders such as Franklin Graham, Jonathan Falwell and Pastor Paula White, who has served as a senior faith adviser to the White House. Members of the Trump administration slated to speak are Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The president plans to send a video message rather than attend in person.
Critics point to Graham’s record of anti-LGBTQ and anti-Muslim remarks. Hegseth, who leads monthly Pentagon prayer sessions and belongs to a denomination co-founded by Doug Wilson, drew scrutiny for a recent wartime prayer calling for forceful action. Paula White has described the gathering as a return to the Christian foundations of the nation. President Trump has publicly linked his faith to recent events, including his 2024 shooting, saying he believes God saved him.