Donald Trump is set to take part in a weeklong marathon Bible reading that is being staged as part of America 250 and livestreamed from the Museum of the Bible in Washington, according to the Associated Press. The program, billed by organizers as an effort to encourage a “return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country,” brings together multiple participants who each read a Bible passage aloud.
The AP reported that the event includes a video of Trump filmed from the Oval Office, in which he read an Old Testament passage as part of the ongoing marathon. The video showed Trump seated at his desk with hands folded on an open Bible while looking into the camera, with the feed cutting between two camera angles.
Trump’s reading is from 2 Chronicles 7:14, a verse he and other conservative Christian political figures have used to emphasize national repentance in ancient Israel. The AP reported that the event’s organizers included Trump’s 2 Chronicles passage as a prominent segment because of its long use at conservative Christian rallies and political events.
In a statement issued to commemorate the event, Trump said the Bible is “indelibly woven into our national identity and way of life,” and the AP reported that the statement cited historical figures including the Puritan leader John Winthrop as “imploring his fellow Christian settlers to stand as a beacon of faith for all the world to see.” The AP said Trump’s statement was tied to the event’s framing that the country should return to the spiritual foundation associated with its Christian past.
The AP reported that critics have said the marathon is a right-leaning Christian nationalist effort. Brian Kaylor, author of “The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power,” told the AP the participant list is “very much a right-wing MAGA, Christian nationalist effort.” Kaylor said a unifying national project would have included broader political and ideological diversity.
The AP also reported that historian Jemar Tisby criticized the event on Facebook, saying, “You cannot quote the Bible while justifying violence, war and exclusion.” Pastor Doug Pagitt, executive director of the progressive group Vote Common Good, echoed that sentiment in a statement, saying: “If you like reading the Bible, try living it.”
For organizers, the event is also intended as a faith-and-civic engagement effort rather than a reading-only event. The AP reported that Bunni Pounds, founder of Christians Engaged, said “Faith without works is dead,” adding: “We need the word first to bring faith into our life.” Pounds also said the organization invited Democratic members of Congress and some leaders of denominations that might be considered progressive, but that they did not accept everyone invited.
The AP reported that the marathon reading is scheduled to begin Sunday and conclude Saturday, with each participant taking a turn through the 66 books of the Bible as recognized by Protestants. The AP said the program includes some Catholic representation as well, including the president of CatholicVote, which endorsed Trump in 2024.
In addition to Trump, the AP reported that other high-ranking officials are scheduled to read passages either in person or by video. Those named included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and several other Republican members of Congress, along with evangelical supporters including Franklin Graham, pastor Jack Graham, and pastor Paula White-Cain, who heads Trump’s White House Faith Office.
The AP reported that the event’s broader context is tied to Trump’s America Prays project, announced last year in conjunction with America 250 and calling for prayer and a recommitment to “one nation under God.” The AP said the marathon Bible reading comes ahead of a May 17 “National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving” event on the National Mall, described as the climactic program of America Prays and involving some of the same groups and individuals.