Thousands rally at Christian nationalist event in DC to ‘turn hearts back to God’

Tens of thousands of Christians poured onto the National Mall on Saturday to atone, pray and take a stand for America - which, in their vision, should be ruled by a Christian god.

Summoned to Washington DC by the multilevel marketing professional-turned-Christian "apostle" Jenny Donnelly and the anti-LGBTQ+ celebrity pastor Lou Engle, they streamed onto the lawn holding blue and pink banners emblazoned with the hashtag #DontMessWithOurKids - a nod to the myth that children are being indoctrinated into adopting gay and transgender identities.

It was no coincidence that the event was held on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur: evangelicals and charismatic Christians find spiritual meaning in Old Testament scripture, Jewish rituals and support for Israel - where they believe the end times prophecy will take place.

November's presidential election hung heavy over the crowd, too. A promotional newsletter for the event called on "the Lord's authority over the election process and our nation's leadership", and organizers handed out flyers promoting a pre-election prayer event hosted by the Donald Trump-aligned organization Turning Point USA Faith.

"I was here at January 6," said Tami Barthen, an attendee who traveled from Pennsylvania to attend the rally, and who described her experience of Trump supporters carrying out a deadly attack on the US Capitol as profoundly spiritual. "It's not Democrat versus Republican," she said. "It's good versus evil."

It's the first of a series of Christian nationalist gatherings in DC to rally believers to the Capitol ahead of the 2024 election.

Donnelly billed the event as a rallying call for mothers concerned about changing gender norms in the modern US and casting the gathering at the Capitol as an opportunity for women to stand their ground and play a pivotal role in changing the country's cultural and political trajectory.