Alex GriffingMay 18th, 2026, 5:45 pm

Rev. Lorenzo Sewell, the senior pastor of 180 Church Detroit, who delivered a benediction at President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, offered on-air commentary during Real America Voice’s coverage of the Rededicate 250 event on the National Mall on Sunday. Sewell argued on air that the separation between Church and state in the U.S. should end, declaring that “Jesus was a politician.”

“Lorenzo, a lot of people say that the church and politics should be separate, but there’s an overlap in a lot of that. What would you tell people?” Sewell was asked on air in a clip first reported on by Right Wing Watch.

“Well, Jesus was a politician. Jesus was crucified for a political crime,” he replied, adding:

“You’re no friend of Caesar.” Jesus on his crucifix—it said that he was a king, right? So we’re a country whereby our founding fathers understood we can’t be a country that has a civil law without a moral law. They knew one was able to inform the other. They would have never had this false dichotomy of the church and the state. They would have said, “No, the church needs to be leading the state.”

Rededicate 250 was a day-long prayer event meant to help kick off the 250-year anniversary celebrations of the U.S.
“Our founders knew two simple truths. Our rights don’t come from government; they come from God. A nation is only as strong as its faith,” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said in a promotional video for the event, which also featured a prerecorded address from Trump.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also spoke at the event, which drew headlines for empty seats following Trump’s video recording. Sewell also spoke during the event.

Watch the clip above.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!