Trump to read Scripture in the Oval Office at the ‘America Reads the Bible’ event
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FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will read from 2 Chronicles 7 during a nationwide Bible reading event this week, verses proponents say were deliberately chosen for the president because of his decades-long role as a call to prayer in America.
Trump will read 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 in the Oval Office as part of “America Reads the Bible,” a weeklong event marking 250 years of the Bible in America and featuring nearly 500 participants reading Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.
Organizers said Trump’s category was not just randomly assigned.
The online schedule of the event shows that a reading from 2 Chronicles 7:11–22 was reserved as a “special guest” spot for Tuesday evening, alongside figures such as former HUD Secretary Ben Carson and members of Congress.
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In this photo shared with Fox News Digital, Bunny Pounds speaks at a lecture during the National Conference of Religious Broadcasters on Feb. 2026. (Received by National Religious Broadcasters (NRB))
“We needed a special person to read Second Chronicles chapter seven,” Bunni Pounds, founder and president of Christian Engaged, told Fox News Digital.
“As my guide and I prayed over different parts of the scriptures, it occurred to us that this is a very sensitive part of the body of Christ,” he said.
Pound said that this verse, especially verse 14, has been central to the American prayer life for decades, often used in times of reflection in the country.
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US President Donald Trump bows his head in prayer during the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton on February 5, 2026. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
“It came at a time when the Israelites were going through a difficult time and God spoke and said, ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray,’ Pounds said. “We have prayed this text for at least the last 50 years of American history on the National Day of Prayer and other times in this country.”
Verse 14 reads as follows: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
“And so we quickly said – who should read that? The President of the United States,” he added. “We have reserved it for him and we have been praying for that for the past year.”
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Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump prays during a roundtable discussion with Latino community leaders at the Trump National Doral Miami resort in Miami, Florida, on October 22, 2024. (Chandan Khanna/AFP)
Pounds said Trump’s participation sends a broader message about faith in American life.
“I think he is sending a message that faith is important in this country, and that it is not only important to him, but to our entire nation,” he said.
He added that the selected Scriptures speak to the present time of the world.
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“We are issuing a statement this week as America reads the Bible, that there is much in the Bible that we can gain wisdom and understanding from, there is much that can heal our families, that can free us from depression and anxiety and can heal our cities and heal our country… I believe that the president said that by reading this document directly,” said Pounds.
The White House echoed that theme in the president’s message to commemorate the event, calling the Bible “indelibly woven into our nationhood” and urging Americans to “reclaim” their role in shaping the nation.
The event, held in partnership with the Museum of the Bible, will run from April 19 to April 25, and will involve nearly 500 Americans participating in a public reading of the entire Bible.
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Hands wrapped in prayer with the Holy Bible in the church concept of faith, spirituality and religion, woman praying with the holy bible in the morning. a woman’s hand holding a Bible and praying. (Stock)
According to Pounds, all participants will read from the King James Version Easy Read, which was licensed for live streaming of the event and the latest version of the audiobook from the church’s reading.
The event will feature a number of participants, including actress Patricia Heaton, Candace Cameron Bure, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, each reading portions of Genesis during the opening ceremony.
Students ranged from elected officials and clergy to single parents and small business owners, reflecting what Pound described as a nationwide cross-section of Americans.
Worship music will accompany each hour of reading, with various ministries and organizations collaborating throughout the event.
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Pondo said viewers watching Trump’s reading in the Oval Office will notice the weight of the moment.
“They will see how serious he is about it, how deliberate he was,” he said. “I was very impressed to see the leader of the free world reading text from the Oval Office.”
“There’s humility in him… and I don’t believe he would have read it if he didn’t believe it,” he added.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“America Reads the Bible” begins at 9 a.m. ET Sunday.
