The speakers largely advanced the ideas that the U.S. has a religious — and particularly Christian — founding and that its future success depends on prayer.
‘What might have been an abstract policy decision that's taking place in Washington now is actually impacting communities,’ said Walter Kim, head of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Many Christian leaders have criticized the report, saying it's narrowly focused on concerns of conservative evangelicals and obscures Trump’s own conflicts with other faith groups, including entire denominations.
TV host Jimmy Kimmel joked about the first lady having ‘a glow like an expectant widow,’ during a sketch about the White House Correspondents' Dinner that aired two days before the actual reception.
The CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute makes the case that there is simply no evidence to suggest Americans are becoming more religious, either in their affiliation with a particular faith tradition or in terms of attending religious services more regularly.