Moment Texas mega-church packed with thousands of worshippers breaks into anti-Biden 'Let's Go Brandon' chant
A Texas mega-church has received backlash after it hosted a conservative rally where thousands of worshipers were filmed chanting 'Let's Go Brandon' on Saturday.
Footage from inside the Cornerstone Church, in San Antonio, showed the congregants chant 'Let's Go Brandon,' which has become a conservative rallying cry that translates to 'F**k Joe Biden.'
Church officials have said the chant did not occur during official services but rather during a 'ReAwaken America' conference where former Trump allies like Michael Flynn and My Pillow CEO Michael Lindell spoke, Newsweek reported.
'This past week, Cornerstone Church facilities were used by an outside organization. Cornerstone Church is not associated with this organization and does not endorse their views,' the church said in a statement.
Worshippers attending a political rally inside the Cornerstone Church, in San Antonio, Texas, chanted 'Let's Go Brandon' a conservative cry meaning 'F**k Joe Biden'
The congregants were filmed in a viral video on Saturday, which received backlash
The Cornerstone mega church had been hosting a 'ReAwaken America' conference that included Trump allies as speakers. The church said the event does not endorse their views
Many called out the church for allowing such a spectacle to occur at a house of worship, including Oklahoma pastor Jeremy Coleman, who described it as 'gut-wrenching and heartbreaking,' News 4 reported.
'If you're going to be a white nationalist cult rally, just say that. If you're going to be a bigoted political rally, just say that. But don't call yourself a church,' Coleman said on TikTok.
The Let's Go Brandon chant has become popularized among conservatives to criticize and mock President Joe Biden
'Churches are meant to be a place of unconditional love for your neighbor. That means your Republican neighbor, your Democrat neighbor.'
Coleman went so far as to say that churches who allow political rallies in their halls should forfeit their tax exempt status for engaging in political behavior.
'When you were supplying those things, what you're doing is you're endorsing a political party or endorsing political candidates,' Coleman told News 4. 'You are now a political action committee. You're no longer a church.'
Among those joining Coleman in criticizing the Cornerstone church was Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro.
'This is not a church service it's a political rally. It's also a prime example of why more people are turned off by and leaving organized religion,' Castro wrote on Twitter.
Oklahoma pastor Jeremy Coleman called out the church for allowing hateful comments in their halls and even went as far as to say their tax-exempt status should be revoked
Many were quick to condemn the church, including Rep. Joaquin Castro, of Texas
A Twitter user with the handle name Caroleen W also condemned the crowd's behavior inside the church, tweeting, 'They go to church each Sunday to get forgiven for their sins to come out and repeat the same behavior. Repeat then sin. Repeat then sin.'
Another Twitter user named Mike wrote, 'Do not judge. Love they neighbor. Love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. I guess they don't really practice Christianity.'
And some like Robin Williams Adams joined Coleman in calling for churches that take part in politics to be taxed.
'That church should lose its tax exempt status. Not saying that for all churches but this one has violated the rules,' Adams tweeted.
The term 'Let's Go Brandon' has exploded in conservative circles after a reporter at a NASCAR race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama seemed to mistake chants of 'F*** Joe Biden,' for 'Let's Go Brandon,' after Brandon Brown, a 28-year-old driver won his first Xfinity Series.
The moment was immortalized in a song that hit the top of the charts, and the phrase has since been used by protesters and even public officials.
Republican Rep. Bill Posey, of Florida, ended an October 21 House floor speech with the phrase, South Carolina Republican Jeff Duncan wore a Let's Go Brandon facemask last week, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz posed with a Let's Go Brandon sign at the World Series, and Sen. Mitch McConnell's press secretary retweeted a photo of the saying at a Virginia construction site.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis used it to mock the Biden administrations during a press conference on November 3.
Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert tweeted a picture of her with former President Donald Trump last week, wearing a dress with the words 'Let's Go Brandon' on the back.
She captioned the photo: 'It's not a phrase, it's a movement!'.
The style of the dress and where the phrase was placed mocked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s now-infamous 'Tax the Rich' dress that the New York Democrat and Squad member wore to the Met Gala in September.
Last week, Peloton blocked users from using the #LetsGoBrandon tag on its platforms because it 'does not meet guidelines'.
The fitness company, famous for its spin bikes, gives members access to a Peloton App where they can post their workout along with tags to connect with other Peloton users with similar interests.
However, Peloton has banned the use of the tag #LetsGoBrandon and sends an error message when the anti-Biden hashtag is used on their app, according to screenshots from PJ Media.
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