Thread by @TaylorMatthewD

A minor tremor in Independent Charismatic-land this month that shows the uncertainty of this post-/mid-Trumpian moment: Mario Murillo, 1 of the big 4 panelists on Kenneth Copeland's "Flashpoint" declared (via blog) he was taking a hiatus from the show. mariomurillo.org/2023/01/17/mar… 1/

Murillo is a big deal. He's a respected Evangelist. He was the preacher who Bill Johnson credits with actually converting a young Bill. Murillo's been around for decades, but as "Flashpoint"'s star rose after the 2020 election, he became a leading Trumpy prophetic voice. 2/

The top "Flashpoint" prophetic panelists (often interspersed with other guests) are Lance Wallnau, Dutch Sheets, Mario Murillo, and Hank Kunneman. Host Gene Bailey seems to be angling to take over Kenneth Copeland's whole shop. 3/

As I laid out in Charismatic Revival Fury (Eps. 3 & 5), "Flashpoint" emerged as a central vehicle for pro-Trump Charismatic propaganda and mobilization after the 2020 election and fed directly into the galvanization of Independent Charismatics in the lead-up to #January6th. 4/

If you dig into Murillo's blog post (which was, importantly, picked up by Charisma News charismamag.com/spiritled-livi…) and the debate in the comment thread, his withdrawal from "Flashpoint" is a rebuke to Hank Kunneman for his continued association with Kat Kerr and Robin Bullock. 5/

Kerr and Bullock are 2 of the most forward-leaning (& truly unhinged) Trump prophets. Both have built brands of going on Charismatic media & spouting off with wild prophecies. Murillo is frustrated that Kunneman (his friend & co-panelist) still associates with Kerr & Bullock. 6/

So he's temporarily withdrawing from "Flashpoint." He makes clear in the comments thread that he's not calling out Lance Wallnau or Dutch Sheets (both key #NAR leaders), and he refrains from directly taking on Kunneman, but he's unsparing in his criticisms of Kerr and Bullock. 7/

A couple points on what this signals: Murillo seems to recognize that the ongoing, dead-ender Trump prophesying is really toxic, and he wants to detach his reputation from that sludge. This places his fellow "Flashpoint" regulars in an awkward position. Will they join him? 8/

On a bigger scale, the Independent Charismatic celebrity world is casting about for their new anointed politician. If Doug Mastriano or Kari Lake had won, they would've been obvious choices, but that didn't happen. So will Trump fulfill the prophecies and get another term? 9/

Can DeSantis convince the Independent Charismatic-celebrity class that he's "God's fighter." people.com/politics/ron-d… Right now, everyone seems to be taking a breath and waiting to see how things play out. 10/

Murillo's willingness to break ranks and make a "principled" stand (everything he complains about has been in evidence for years now), indicates that the unique mind-meld around Trump in 2016 & 2020 might not hold, and the cocksure Trump prophet schtick is getting old. 11/

As a day-later coda to my thread: Charisma News decided to write this up today & interviewed Murillo for the piece: charismamag.com/propheticreviv… Note how they studiously avoid naming Kunneman (the "certain other guest" Murillo's protesting) & make clear that Lance Wallnau is A-OK.