The Daily Populous Monday May 18th, 2026 day edition
Authored by independent.co.uk and submitted by Aggravating_Money992

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice

A speaker at an prayer event on the National Mall said that God “raised up” President Donald Trump to build a White House ballroom.

Eric Metaxas, a Christian author, spoke on the National Mall on Sunday for the Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States declaring independence.

Metaxas, an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, spoke about the Revolutionary War and the eventual War of 1812, wherein the British set fire to the capital city of Washington, D.C.

“They burned parts of the city, including the White House, which at that time, if you can believe it, did not yet have a ballroom,” he said, to laughter.

“It's hard to believe that it would take two centuries for the Lord to raise up a great man to bring that ballroom finally to stand where it needs to stand,” he said.

open image in gallery Eric Metaxas said God raised up ‘a great man to bring that ballroom finally to stand where it needs to stand,’ in reference to President Donald Trump ( AFP/Getty )

open image in gallery Thousands attended the prayer event, held on the National Mall ( Getty )

The White House ballroom a focal point of Trump’s second term, and caused significant controversy and legal challenges.

After the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton last month, he reiterated the need for the ballroom.

Despite the fact that Trump said the ballroom would cost only $400 million and would be funded entirely by private donors, Republicans attempted to put $1 billion for security provisions for the ballroom in their massive spending bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

But the Senate Parliamentarian, the clerk who runs the Senate’s rules, found that the ballroom spending violated the rules of budget reconciliation, which allows the Senate to sidestep a filibuster as long as legislation relates to federal spending and taxes.

The day was heavy on themes of Christian nationalism, equating America to be a Christian nation, despite the fact that the first amendment of the Constitution says that the country shall have no law establishing a national religion nor prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

open image in gallery Secretary of War Pete Hegseth referenced George Washington in his video message to attendees at the event. ( AFP/Getty )

open image in gallery Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke at the event. ( AFP/Getty )

Trump delivered a video address to the event, but refrained from giving any speech. Rather, he recited from 2 Chronicles of the Old Testament of the Bible, which describes what God told King Solomon after he erected the Temple of Israel.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke about the need for prayer, referencing the nation’s first president George Washington when he led the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

“Let us pray for our nation on bended knee, and let us ask our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as Washington did on that momentous day,” he said. Hegseth has also attended the church of Doug Wilson, whose movement has called for the United States to repeal the 19th amendment of the Constitution which gave women the right to vote.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed some of the sentiment as well during a video address.

“It is no coincidence that America, from the very beginning, has occupied a unique and exceptional place in world history,” he said. Rubio said that the United States came from the idea in Christianity to spread the faith across the globe.

“From that command came America,” he said. “Our nation, more than any other in history, was shaped by this Christian idea.”

In addition, Franklin Graham, the son of legendary evangelist and preacher Billy Graham, decried what he perceives to be sinfulness in the United States.

“Today, the Bible has been removed from our schools, and for the most part, the public square, but there is a downward moral decline spiraling ever deeper into the mire,” he said.

“America has become morally rot, completely sick with sin, transgenderism, same-sex marriage, opening women's locker rooms to men. to men are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

StronglyHeldOpinions on May 17th, 2026 at 21:50 UTC »

It's cliche at this point but bears repeating; THIS IS A CULT.

JoeyBagADonuts27 on May 17th, 2026 at 21:46 UTC »

So fucking stupid.

ivebeensad4ever on May 17th, 2026 at 21:45 UTC »

did god also make AI so trump could replace jesus himself?