Politics and religion united by...

[Gob]

stupidity...

‘He was chosen’: the rightwing Christian roadshow spreading the gospel of Trump



Part Trump rally, part religious service, and much conspiracy theory thrown in – on the eve of the midterms, Ed Pilkington visits the ReAwaken America tour


There is a man by the name of Donald,” the voice on the recording says. “God said, ‘You have been determined through your prayers to influence this nation … I will open that door that you prayed about, and when it comes time for the election you will be elected.”

Three thousand people are packed into an overflowing auditorium, many with arms raised and eyes closed in prayer. The recording to which they are listening is from April 2013 and of Kim Clement, a late South African preacher, as he prophesies the first coming of Donald Trump.

In a clip from the following year, Clement again purports to channel the word of God: “Hear me, for I have found a man after my own heart and he is among you. He is one of the brothers, but singled out for presidency of the United States of America.”

There is excitement in the theater, with talk of a “red wave” at Tuesday’s midterm elections that will set America back on a righteous path after two years in the progressive wilderness. There is also palpable expectation that victory next week will be followed soon after by Trump’s second coming.

The audience erupts in a mighty cheer as Clement’s speaking as God is beamed down to them from large flat screens while he says: “Hear me today. I have the whole thing planned out. I have looked for a man who would restore the fortunes of Zion.”

So begins the ReAwaken America tour, a Trump-adoring, rightwing road show that has come for its 17th and last pre-election stop to Branson, a deeply Christian, deeply conservative town in Missouri. Over the next two days the crowd, swathed in Stars and Stripes T-shirts and Make America Great Again (Maga) hats and paying up to $500 for a “VIP” ticket, will be treated to speeches from the far-right stormtroopers of the Trump revolution.


They will hear the former president’s first national security adviser Michael Flynn, who is revered in this setting as “America’s general”, warning that a new world tyranny is approaching. They will listen as Mike Lindell, the so-called My Pillow Guy, launches an incoherent rant about how foreign forces are infiltrating voting machines and using them to subvert US elections.

They will give a standing ovation to the beloved leader’s son, Eric Trump, who will fire them up almost to the point of ecstasy with talk of “doing it all again”. And at the end of the day more than 200 of them will line up by a swimming pool for a full-body immersive baptism in the name of the lord, spiritual and political.

The show is part Trump Stop the Steal rally, part charismatic religious service, part QAnon and anti-vaxxer conspiracy theory all rolled into one. It also subscribes heavily to the church of merchandising – there is a large vendors’ tent with several stalls devoted to the peddling of snake oil (“Redox Worx: patented cell-signalling technology. Improve health on a cellular level”).

This heady brew is the creation of Clay Clark, a former wedding reception DJ from Oklahoma turned ThriveTimeShow podcaster who came to prominence protesting Covid lockdowns. Together with Flynn, he launched the ReAwaken America tour in April last year, just weeks after Trump supporters staged the January 6 attack on the US Capitol in a desperate yet unsuccessful attempt to keep Joe Biden out of the Oval Office.

Since then the show has criss-crossed the country like a merry band of minstrels, honing the look, feel and message of Trump 2.0. There is less arch humour in the mix than there was when Trump descended the golden escalator in June 2015 – now it’s more resentment and menace.

The speakers talk about a battle for America’s soul, literally, as though an aspiration that was floated at the start of the Trump experiment has gelled into something concrete. The regular tussle between Republicans and Democrats has distilled into a concoction that is far more potent: the fight of good versus evil.

“We are ready to go to war with the enemy, to bring this country back,” Clark says as he orders the blowing of the shofar – horns seen as spiritual weapons that herald the unleashing of God’s power.

“How many of you believe that Jesus is king, and that Donald Trump is the president?” he asks. Almost every hand in the house shoots up.

Much more lunacy here....

[Bicycle Bill]

They even need to camouflage the purpose of the event so they don't get shut down.  From the article Gob linked to...

Twice the event has been shut down or forced to relocate, in New York and Washington states. Now when you are sent your ticket it is labelled as a “Fresh-roasted coffee-fest and expo” to disguise the show’s real focus.

When they have to start out by lying about what their roadshow is all about, how can you believe anything else that comes out of their mouths?

-"BB"-

[Burning Petard]

"When they have to start out by lying about what their roadshow is all about, how can you believe anything else that comes out of their mouths?"

It is so very easy. I love fresh roasted coffee. I only wish that pizza joint in DC with no basement, where the evil Dems held their orgiies, sold coffee.

Ask the the new owner of Twitter, or maybe read 'The Persuaders" by Anand Giriharadas. No wait a minute, with a name like that he must be on the Q list of dangerous foreign influencers.

Brother Elon is the latest example of the principle 'nobody ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American people."

snailgate

[MajGenl.Meade]

It is sickening. The utter abasement of christians (and I used the terms falsely, as do they) to the shrine of the world and mammon is incomprehensible to me, except as another manifestation of the disintegration of civil society into a morass of incivility, crudity, ignorance, irresponsibility and apathy. Etc etc. Well, I shouldn't say incomprehensible - it's a fact that humankind is sinful and revels in it.

[Burning Petard]

Sickening, yes. Also disappointing, saddening, frightening. That is why I do not call myself christian. I am trying to be a disciple of the itinerant carpenter from Nazareth. For those who have an interest in that sort of thing, particularly those who claim we (the USofA) were founded by Christian leaders, the Smithsonian Institution is now selling a replica edition of the Thomas Jefferson Bible, including his marginalia.

snailgate

[Big RR]

True, but phony religious fervor is the best way to get people hyped up and excited about doing something. Face it, no one really gets excited about Trump, but when he's Jesus' PR man, they nearly pass out. Anything that can convince people to run around with rattlesnakes in their hands, can convince people to do things even more destructive--like voting for Trump and his minions. Look how the Moonies revered their leader, and it's hardly surprising that they do the same thing for a guy even more idiotioc (and that's saying a lot).

[MajGenl.Meade]

Face it, no one really gets excited about Trump

Really? You have some research that supports that? January 6 - you think that was a sort of Christian revival that got out of hand a little? You never read reports or saw film of Trump rallies at which "Lock her up?" or "No more steal!" etc. were powerful rallying cries for morons?

I think you do underestimate the nature of the enemy. Rallies are always popular over there, in that direction.

[Bicycle Bill]

Really? You have some research that supports that? January 6 - you think that was a sort of Christian revival that got out of hand a little? You never read reports or saw film of Trump rallies at which "Lock her up?" or "No more steal!" etc. were powerful rallying cries for morons?

I think you do underestimate the nature of the enemy. Rallies are always popular over there, in that direction.

Agreed.  Look at Nuremberg.  Trump was/is following der Fuhrer's playbook so exactly that I'm surprised he didn't also appropriate the music of Wagner while he was at it...  unless he's still unable to separate "The Ride of the Valkryries" from "Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit!!"

eta:   Here's another interesting article about the rise of "Christian nationalism", written by a Texas pastor who has been rather outspoken against it, and why MORE pastors need to stand up and call it out as being diametrically opposed to the teachings of Christ.

https://www.texasobserver.org/christian ... s-pastors/

-"BB"-

[Big RR]

Research? No. But the religious groups were always at the base of them--how many trumped up (pun intended) the outrage of permitting abortion, and gays to marry, and protecting (gasp) transsexuals. These are all the darlings of the so-called religious right (in reality, it is neither) and they attended the rallies in droves. Do you doubt this (I won't ask about research because it doesn't make sense). Fanatics are always easy to really, and certain religious groups are clearly in that camp.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Research? No. But the religious groups were always at the base of them--how many trumped up (pun intended) the outrage of permitting abortion, and gays to marry, and protecting (gasp) transsexuals. These are all the darlings of the so-called religious right (in reality, it is neither) and they attended the rallies in droves. Do you doubt this (I won't ask about research because it doesn't make sense). Fanatics are always easy to really, and certain religious groups are clearly in that camp.

I've no need to deny any of that. What I deny is your unwarranted claim that "no one really gets excited about Trump" unless by phony religious fervor.

[Big RR]

Well, we can differ on that, but I have seen no evidence that anyone really got excited about him and his political views (hell, he had ghost written books published under his name that were pretty much ignored--who recalls The America We Deserve?) until he began this "crusade".

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well, we can differ on that, but I have seen no evidence that anyone really got excited about him and his political views (hell, he had ghost written books published under his name that were pretty much ignored--who recalls The America We Deserve?) until he began this "crusade".

Are you referring to the current election cycle? I regarded your statement as indicating that Trump never excited any crowds between 2016 and 2021 other than on a religious basis.

[BoSoxGal]

Look the truth is that the religious right and extreme right have been working concertedly for decades to take control of the GOP - Barry Goldwater warned about them - and eventually the government enforcing their Christian vision for the country.

We couldn’t ring alarm bells without being called alarmist and now it’s almost done and everyone is just a bit shocked and still in denial. Unless there is a come to Jesus moment tomorrow at the polls for the apathetic and discontented, we can all look forward to living in Christofascist hell come 2025.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well it's a good job nobody is denying that then.

[Burning Petard]

BSG, I love your post just above. Your rhetoric is precise. Your metaphors are exactly on point. Rarely has anyone that I know about spoken in the mass media about the open intent of 'Regent`University.' to destroy the wall of separation between church and state from the bottom up, and create an established religion that runs the government, as 'regents' for the kingdom of god.

snailgate

[BoSoxGal]

BSG, I love your post just above. Your rhetoric is precise. Your metaphors are exactly on point. Rarely has anyone that I know about spoken in the mass media about the open intent of 'Regent`University.' to destroy the wall of separation between church and state from the bottom up, and create an established religion that runs the government, as 'regents' for the kingdom of god.

snailgate

I have my moments under the influence of God’s own herb. Sadly the Christofascists will most certainly outlaw escape via opening one’s own mind, as such pursuits are not at all conducive to controlling the hive mind. So I will ultimately resort to the Socratic method to escape when they come to power and hell USA comes to pass.

[Big RR]

Well, we can differ on that, but I have seen no evidence that anyone really got excited about him and his political views (hell, he had ghost written books published under his name that were pretty much ignored--who recalls The America We Deserve?) until he began this "crusade".

Are you referring to the current election cycle? I regarded your statement as indicating that Trump never excited any crowds between 2016 and 2021 other than on a religious basis.

No, what I was saying (or at least mean to say) was that, prior to his presidential run, he was more or less a joke--a funny one perhaps (rich men's jokes are always funny), but no one took him or his political views seriously view. In 2016 he didn't get many smarter, but his handlers sold him tothe religious right and suddenly he was taken seriously. He didn't get any smarter then, only packaged the right way.

[Joe Guy]

No, what I was saying (or at least mean to say) was that, prior to his presidential run, he was more or less a joke--a funny one perhaps (rich men's jokes are always funny), but no one took him or his political views seriously view. In 2016 he didn't get many smarter, but his handlers sold him tothe religious right and suddenly he was taken seriously. He didn't get any smarter then, only packaged the right way.

I agree that Trump was a joke prior to being elected. I used to enjoy watching the debates because he made them interesting. The problem is that once he won, he never left the campaign mode and continued to insult people who he disagreed with and talked mostly about how great he thought/thinks he is. I thought that he was eventually going to act more presidential after he was elected but instead he became more of a liar and spiteful person who continues to appeal to racists and low IQ isolationists. His obvious exaggerations, lies and immature way of dealing with people he doesn't agree with has found a large and loyal audience, which appeals to his gigantic ego. He doesn't care who supports him as long as they idolize him. After being in office for a while, he discovered that the way to become extra popular and gain a loyal following is to appeal to religious fanatics, stupid people and conspiracy theorists - rather than even hinting at attempting to appeal to people with morals, an understanding of global issues, and people who have sympathy for needy people.

We're hanging by a thread right now.

I wish Lord Jim was here to comment on Trumpler...

[Big RR]

an understanding of global issues

He tried that with his early books, but even his ghost writers didn't have enough intelligence to even pretend to understand real issues; part of the reason people saw him as a joke, and many still do. A dangerous joke to be sure (because some much smarter people are pulling his strings), but still a joke.

[Sue U]

Trump (like every other GOP presidential contender) was playing to evangelical Christians from the start of his campaign, although in his own typically ham-handed and transparently disingenuous way:

Donald Trump is a shameless liar who thinks the American people are idiots and fools -- and not without good reason. He has lately taken to trump-eting at his campaign rallies how his "favorite book" is the Bible, yet when asked to identify anything in it that he finds meaningful to him, that question is hilariously just "too personal" (as if ANYTHING could be "too personal" for this self-obsessed cartoon):



Trump's pandering fabrication frankly mocks religious faith and makes his evangelical supporters into hypocrites.

See also the "two Corinthians" incident a few months later.

Trump's fan base has always been fevered and readily agitated -- and wholly unconcerned with his hypocrisy and lies because he was telling them what they wanted to hear: that they were oppressed and under attack by leftists, foreigners and minorities, who were cheating them out of the bounty of America and displacing them from their rightful place as the masters of society. That message is easily adapted for the Dominionist crowd of theocratic political activists who believe they should be running the U.S. as a "Christian nation" according to their extremist theory of "Biblical citizenship," instead of the the liberal (((globalists))) they imagine are currently controlling the government, the economy, the schools, the culture, the weather, etc.

In the Christian Nationalism thread I linked to an article by Jenny Cohn, who has been documenting the "New Apostolic Reformation" movement, its leaders and its re-shaping of Republican party ideology. This week she published a deep dive into the organizations and people stoking this movement, some of whom I'm sure you will be shocked to learn are convicted fraudsters who may have been illegally enriching themselves through these groups.

A dangerous joke to be sure (because some much smarter people are pulling his strings), but still a joke.

I do not believe that anyone is pulling Trump's strings -- he is far too chaotic and unmoored from any fixed principles to make an actual plan workable -- but in the short term I think he is certainly useful to others in advancing their own agendae, and perfectly willing to be used (or, maybe more accurately, make common cause) if it satisfies his own narcissistic needs.