Eric Metaxas pushes back against attacks over WH ballroom joke during Rededicate 250 speech

WASHINGTON — Christian author and broadcaster Eric Metaxas pushed back against attacks he faced for a joke he made about the White House ballroom during his speech at the Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving event on Sunday. 

While speaking about the British burning Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812, Metaxas made a joke in passing about President Donald Trump's controversial construction of a ballroom at the White House on the former site of the demolished East Wing.

"They burned parts of the city, including the White House, which at that time, if you can believe it, did not yet have a ballroom," Metaxas said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

"Yes, it's hard to believe that it would take two centuries for the Lord to raise up a great man to bring that ballroom finally to stand where it needs to stand. It's extraordinary. We only had to wait 200 years," he quipped.

Viral clips on X of Metaxas' remark, which were removed from the context of his longer 10-minute address, prompted a torrent of scorn and accusations of blasphemy, including from New York Times columnist David French. Multipleleft-leaning outlets wrote stories about his humorous comment while noting he has been a staunch Trump supporter and framing Rededicate 250 as an example of government-backed "Christian Nationalism."

Eric Metaxas delivers remarks at Rededicate 250 on the National Mall:

"Once upon a time there was a revolution. Actually, it was exactly two hundred and fifty years ago. But two hundred and fifty years before that revolution, explorers who believed God had led them to this… pic.twitter.com/uTfTjz4FJC

— Freedom 250 (@Freedom250) May 17, 2026

"Can you IMAGINE not getting that this was a joke? OUCH. It's almost painful to consider that these folks are SO bitter that they can't ever laugh," Metaxas wrote Sunday in his first response to the backlash.

"If ever you wanted to know whether bitterness can blind you to the joy of HUMOR and JOKES, here is the evidence. It almost hurts to think about being THIS humorless. WOW," Metaxas wrote in response to a sarcastic rebuke from French.

"Is ANYTHING more hilarious than TDS [Trump Derangement Syndrome] liberals taking the bait on my insane joke about God 'raising up' President Trump to build the WH ballroom? You cannot make this up! Guess they didn't pick up on the sarcastic humor! Quelle domage [what a shame]!" Metaxas wrote in response to a story from The Daily Beast that incorrectly called him a "MAGA pastor."

Metaxas' full speech, delivered during the all-day prayer festival on the National Mall, focused on the examples of divine providence and dedication to God that accompanied America's founding since the 15th-century voyages of Christopher Columbus and the later English settlement at Jamestown in 1607.

His ballroom joke was made while recounting the Burning of Washington in August 1814, which was followed by a severe storm sometimes referred to as "The Storm that Saved Washington." The unusual weather poured torrential rain and spun off a rare tornado that tore through the center of the city, extinguished fires, scattered British munitions and ultimately forced the British to evacuate after only 26 hours.

Both the British and the Americans attributed the strangely severe weather to divine providence, but disagreed on whether it indicated divine favor or displeasure, according to a reported exchange between an American woman and a British officer that may be apocryphal.

Metaxas also noted that the defense of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 prompted Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"In that last verse of the song, Francis Scott Key calls America a Heaven-rescued land, and he praises the God who made our nation and preserved it," Metaxas said. "And he says in that song: 'And this be our motto — In God is our trust.' That is our motto. It will be proclaimed again and again today and in future generations."

Metaxas, whose book about the American Revolution is slated to be published next month, also mentioned what he described as other notable examples of divine intervention in American history, such as when dense fog descended at dawn on George Washington's army following the Battle of Long Island in August 1776.

The weather allowed Washington to evacuate around 9,000 men across the East River undetected by nearby British forces, which many contemporary accounts described as crucial and providential.

"Just as the sun was rising, a strange and impenetrable fog settled over the British and American lines. Suddenly, the escaping Americans were as invisible as if it were still night. For three hours, the fog held and allowed every last American to cross over the river into safety," Metaxas said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that happened. That is not Christian history. That is American history. And just when the final soldier arrived safely in Manhattan, the fog lifted. Many at the time knew it was a miracle," he added.

Metaxas also told the story of Washington crossing the icy, storm-swept Delaware River on Christmas night later that year, after his army had dwindled over harsh, difficult months. His crossing allowed his struggling troops to capture the Hessians by surprise in a near-bloodless tactical victory.

"As we know, time and again thereafter, as hope was lost and darkness closed in, providence — which is to say, the God of the Bible — intervened. As Washington said over and over and over, providence intervened and the sacred cause endured," he said.

Metaxas was one of several speakers who gave remarks during Rededicate 250, which was held to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress designating "a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayers" amid the trials of the Revolutionary War.

Several prominent faith leaders and public officials who participated in the event stressed the importance of returning to that same spirit of humble repentance and reliance upon the Lord if they hope for Him to bless the United States.

During an interview last week with The Christian Post, Metaxas said he hopes the 250th "supercentenntial" celebrations this year "will be a moment when Americans are excited about learning our story and celebrating what it is that we have."

"I think that we've ignored that long enough, that we ought to take it seriously. And I would say this is the year to do it," he added.