Hank Kunneman And The Big Lie That Ate Itself

When it comes to promoting the Big Lie that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election only to have the presidency stolen away from him, few can match the dedication shown by right-wing pastor and conspiracy theorist Hank Kunneman.

Kunneman, of course, has a vested interest in promoting this lie since, as a self-proclaimed “prophet,” he repeatedly guaranteed that not only would Trump be reelected in 2020, but that Vice President Mike Pence would be elected president in 2024. The former didn’t happen and the latter is obviously not going to happen, but Kunneman has petulantly refused to apologize for his false prophecies or even admit that Biden is president, instead promising that God will reward those who stand with him while attacking those who have dared to criticize him.

Over and over and over again, Kunneman has insisted that the 2020 election was stolen, so it was something of a surprise to hear him call on Christians to pray and fast against supposedly forthcoming efforts by Democrats to assert that the 2024 election was stolen.

During his appearance Tuesday night on the Christian nationalist “FlashPoint” program, Kunneman claimed to have been told by God that Christians must be prepared to “bind the thief” spiritually.

And the reason conservative Christians must be ready themselves for such spiritual warfare is because Kunneman alleged that polls showing Kamala Harris leading in the race for president are being intentionally exaggerated in order lay the groundwork for Democrats to claim that the election was stolen in the event that Harris loses.

“When you have Kamala Harris—who has received, watch this, zero votes and she is their candidate running on their ticket—[that] ought to send an alarm to every single person—whether it’s on the left or the right—that they’re planning, once again, to cheat like they’ve always done and they always do,” Kunneman said. “That’s all the Democratic Party; that’s how they get their candidates forward. But if we bind the thief, they’re not going to have any opportunity. ”

“They are exaggerating the polls,” he continued. “They’re doing it because they’re trying to create narrative. … I feel that the Democrats are going to try to play that the election has been stolen, and they’re going to use everything they can in their power to try to contest the results. So, I think we got to continue to pray and fast as people that we have the rightful people that God wants, and the thief be bound over our country.”

Every day, Right Wing Watch exposes extremism to help the public, activists, and journalists understand the strategies and tactics of anti-democratic forces—and respond to an increasingly aggressive and authoritarian far-right movement. The threat is growing, but our resources are not. Any size contribution will help us continue our work and become more effective at disrupting the ideologies, people, and organizations that threaten our freedom and democracy. Please make an investment in Right Wing Watch’s defense of the values we share.