Thread by @BrianKaylor

Latest round of ReAwaken America Tour is starting in Nashville. This traveling MAGA variety show of extremism & conspiracies co-opts Christians symbols & rhetoric, as I reported from last event in Branson:
publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-reawaken… 1/

ReAwaken America events have embraced #ChristianNationalism (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/how-most-chr…), demonized opponents (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-new-sata…), & pushed for violent view of spiritual warfare politics (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/taking-off-t…). 2/

This time, ReAwaken America is meeting at church of 1 of the popular, regular speakers (Greg Locke). @liamsadams previewed this round for @Tennessean:
tennessean.com/story/news/rel… 3/

Local clergy in Nashville area have spoken out against ReAwaken America as a perversion of the Christian faith: newschannel9.com/newsletter-dai…. We had similar alternative witness in Branson: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/ministers-co… 4/

After I criticized ReAwaken America ahead of the Branson stop (missouriindependent.com/2022/11/04/mis…), Roger Stone called me a "Marxist pastor" (wordandway.org/2022/11/10/how…). But I'm not sure Stone knows what Marxism or Christianity actually are about. 5/

This is 1st ReAwaken America since #Trump announced 2024 prez run. RAT events have been very pro-Trump (see my photo essay from Branson: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/scenes-from-…). RAT speakers regularly predict Trump will return to White House "in 2024 or before." Eric Trump will again speak.

Another new dynamic for this ReAwaken America Tour is that regular (& popular) speaker Mike Lindell is mounting longshot bid for RNC chair against Ronna McDaniel. I suspect that will come up in his speech & maybe others in Nashville this weekend.

As usual, ReAwaken America organizer Clay Clark starts by declaring Jesus is King, Donald Trump is president (& won in 2020), & Michael Flynn is America's general. This is the liturgy for this religious-political movement.

As usual, ReAwaken America opens with co-option of Jewish symbols mixed with Pentecostal rhetoric & beliefs. It sometimes feels a bit like this amalgamation could spawn a new religious movement.

Before going to partisan speeches mixed with anti-vax rhetoric, conspiracy theories, & QAnon stuff, ReAwaken America opens with worship music as if this is a church service. This shouldn't be overlooked. By baptizing the event as worship, the political rhetoric is set as from God

ReAwaken America host pastor Greg Locke now preaching. He's regular on tour. Rose to prominence by refusing to follow #COVID health rules & pushing #Trump election conspiracies (tennessean.com/story/news/rel…). Unfortunately, embracing partisan conspiracies can be church growth strategy

At ReAwaken America, Greg Locke claims Constitution is based on Bible. Has he read the Constitution? #ChristianNationalism

Greg Locke literally demonizes Democrats. But this kind of rhetoric is common at ReAwaken America events (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-new-sata…)

Popularity of Simone Gold at ReAwaken America events describes the event quite well: she's a COVID-denier, anti-vaxxer who was imprisoned for role in Jan. 6 insurrection & accused by nonprofit of lavish personal spending (rgj.com/story/news/pol…) .

At ReAwaken America, Simone Gold assures crowd they are here "for such a time as this." That verse is commonly claimed in politics today: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/for-such-a-t…

Pastor Mark Burns, a regular at ReAwaken America, gets the crowd excited about idea of #Trump as 47th president - and says they want that because they believe in Jesus.

Mark Burns demonstrates how #ChristianNationalism mixes religious & patriotic liturgy (& he uses it to lead up to prophesy that #Trump is coming back).

In upside-down world of ReAwaken America, people are dying from vaccines, not COVID. Like in presentation from Sherri Tenpenny, one of worst spreaders of COVID disinformation (religionnews.com/2021/09/14/the…). The conspiracies & anti-vax claims hurt their witness when they talk about God

"Prophet" Amanda Grace, a regular on the ReAwaken America Tour, invokes the "armor of God" to describe the religious & political changes needed in nation. This "armor of God" rhetoric is common at RAT events & politics more broadly these days: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/taking-off-t…

While ReAwaken America is happening, clergy & @FaithfulAmerica are nearby offering an alternative witness. @liamsadams of @Tennessean is on site:

https://twitter.com/liamsadams/status/1616488468875444237

.@FaithfulAmerica & local clergy have been offering an alternative witness to ReAwaken America events across country, like at the previous event in Branson, Missouri: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/ministers-co…. Glad to see them doing this again in Tennessee.

A pastor & a Turning Point USA faith representative compare Biden to Hitler, joke about death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, & compare sacrifice of founding fathers to that of Jesus,

People peddling fake COVID cures (instead of those vaccines they think kill people) are a staple of ReAwaken America events. And some, like Stella Immanuel, are popular with the crowds that come to these events.

Kash Patel tells those at ReAwaken America to seek & tell the truth. You know, while he lies for Trump about Jan. 6 & much more.

Kash Patel just said Donald Trump will show up at ReAwaken America event at Trump Doral in May.

When Michael Flynn speaks at ReAwaken America events, he always throws out crazy conspiracy theories I've never heard before. Then he asks who has heard of it & people cheer. There's weird subculture he's tapped into. Unfortunately, he mixes God into it (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-sermon-m…)

As Eric Trump often does at ReAwaken America Tour events, he calls his dad to talk to crowd. People at the church chant, "We love Trump!" Next RAT event is scheduled for Trump Doral. Despite reports of Trump losing support, it's not true at RAT.

Mike Lindell speaking at ReAwaken America. He's always popular at these events. He keeps promising he's about to prove the 2020 election "fraud," but the date keeps moving back.

Lindell gets cheers as he mentions his RNC chair run. He adds he plans to win, says God wants him to run, & attacks media for not covering his candidacy. If he loses will he claim fraud?

Mike Lindell at ReAwaken America is praising efforts to change elections in Missouri & praises Mo. Secretary of State @JayAshcroftMO, who he recently met with:
kansascity.com/news/politics-…
#mokeg

Mike Lindell just said at ReAwaken America that every reporter has his personal number. Huh, I feel left out! Did I miss the last meeting? What's up, @realMikeLindell? My DMs are open.

Day 2 of ReAwaken America kicking off at Greg Locke's church near Nashville. If you need a lighter look at #ChristianNationalism in this event, my holiday gift guide included many of the best (worst?) things RAT speakers sell:
publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/holiday-gift…

Shofar blowing to start day at ReAwaken America (as usual). They say this will bring Holy Spirit into the event. They frame the instrument as weapon for "spiritual war."

Jackson Laymeyer, a regular preacher at ReAwaken America, is touting his new effort: "Pastors for Trump" (rollingstone.com/politics/polit…)

Sean Feucht, the musical Forrest Gump of #ChristianNationalism, leading worship songs at ReAwaken America. (More on Feucht: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/when-worship…).

.@washingtonpost debunks new viral claim about Hunter Biden (washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/…). Eric Trump made big deal of this false claim yesterday at ReAwaken America. But they won't correct it. Just one more lie in the name of God at the event.

People are lining up at ReAwaken America Tour for "prophets" to pray over them. As I saw at last RAT event, the lines were long & several people fell to the ground after being touched (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-reawaken…)

Roger Stone now speaking at ReAwaken America Tour. He previously called me a "Marxist pastor" for criticizing RAT (wordandway.org/2022/11/10/how…)

As she regularly does at ReAwaken America events, "prophet" Julie Green claims to speak from God to promise God is on side of MAGA & will overturn elections. This time she also claimed God said US is "the light," a blasphemous idea. #ChristianNationalism.

Greg Locke is always popular at ReAwaken America events, but he seems to really relish being in extra spotlight as host this weekend. He's back on stage again wrapping things up.

As another round of the ReAwaken America Tour closes, thanks for following along here. Also be sure to sign up for my newsletter A Public Witness:
publicwitness.wordandway.org