The Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing the Trump administration in federal court for refusing to release records on the use of taxpayer funds for religious events tied to the 250th anniversary celebrations.
The national state/church watchdog, which is also the nation’s largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics), filed suit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service under the Freedom of Information Act after the agencies failed to produce records requested months ago. The lawsuit seeks to compel the release of documents detailing federal involvement in religious programming associated with the administration’s “Freedom 250” initiative, including an all-day Christian prayer rally called by President Trump and held on the National Mall.
Trump promoted the all-day prayer fest during his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast: “On May 17, 2026, we are inviting Americans from all across the country to come together on our National Mall to pray, to give thanks, and to rededicate America as one nation under God.”
Says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor, “Americans deserve to know how much of our tax dollars were misused to promote a Christian nationalist worship service.”
“The 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding should have celebrated the constitutional principles that unite us all, including the all-American principle of separation between state and church that ensures true religious freedom,” Gaylor adds. “It should never have been used to promote an extremist brand of Christianity or to falsely portray the United States as ‘a Christian nation.’”
At the center of FFRF’s investigation is “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,” a May 17 event that featured videos from Trump (reading from a chapter of the bible), Vice President JD Vance (“We’ve always been and still are a nation of prayer, and thank God for that”), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (who urged attendees to pray “on bended knee” to Jesus) and an in-person appearance from House Speaker Mike Johnson (“We hereby rededicate the United States of America as one nation under God”). Numerous religious leaders also spoke; every speaker but one ultraorthodox rabbi was a Christian.
FFRF is seeking to determine to what extent federal resources and taxpayer dollars were used to organize, promote or subsidize this pervasively sectarian and exclusionary religious celebration.
Congress voted in 2016 to appropriate $150 million to the Department of the Interior for semiquincentennial activities billed as America 250. But most of the congressional funding has gone to Freedom 250, which Trump announced in December 2025 as a separate entity. FFRF is seeking to discover how much public money was directed toward religious worship and proselytizing under the guise of commemorating (and whitewashing) American history.
Congressional Freethought Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., released a report in July charging, “Donald Trump’s hijacking of America’s 250th birthday will go down as one of the most corrupt, brazen abuses of public trust in presidential history, even by the dubious standards of this administration.” One use was $10 million for “Freedom Trucks” that promoted Christianity and included an AI rendering falsely claiming that George Washington said, “Our rights are a gift from God.”
FFRF first submitted a FOIA request to the National Park Service on March 5 seeking all permit applications, issued permits, memoranda, schedules and communications relating to the Rededicate 250 event. Despite repeated attempts by FFRF’s legal counsel to obtain the records, the agencies have produced nothing.
FFRF submitted a second FOIA request on May 13, expanding its investigation to the broader Freedom 250 initiative and its relationship with religious organizations. That request sought contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding, payment records and communications involving Freedom 250, particularly those connected to religious worship and prayer. The request also sought information about “America Prays,” a faith-based initiative Trump announced promoting nationwide prayer activities, including events associated with the anniversary celebrations.
The Department of the Interior acknowledged the second request but has not made a substantive determination or released any responsive documents. As of this month, the request remained listed as “in process.”
The Freedom of Information Act generally requires federal agencies to make determinations on requests within 20 business days, subject to limited extensions. FFRF contends that the agencies have violated federal law by failing to meet those deadlines, withholding responsive records and failing to provide estimated completion dates.
FFRF’s lawsuit asks the court to order the agencies to conduct reasonable searches, produce all nonexempt responsive records, justify any lawful withholdings and comply with their obligations under FOIA.
“This administration cannot use taxpayer money to promote religious events and then keep the public in the dark about how that money was spent,” says FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott. “The Freedom of Information Act exists precisely so Americans can hold their government accountable. Federal agencies do not get to ignore transparency laws simply because the records might invite scrutiny.”
FFRF calls the records essential to determining the extent of federal involvement in these religious activities and how they violated the Constitution.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 40,000 members, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
