Kari Lake fans marched seven times around the Maricopa County Tallying and Election Center in Phoenix on Saturday, blasting trumpets and singing “Awesome God.”
They were reenacting the march around the city of Jericho, a Biblical battle that’s infamous for outnumbered troops winning a battle by the will of God.
Kari Lake supporters today are doing a ‘March of Jericho’ around the Maricopa vote counting building. pic.twitter.com/qF93ik2Glf
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) November 12, 2022
Has the Lake Gone Dry?
Lake, an ardent backer of erstwhile President Donald Trump as well as the 2020 presidential election conspiracy claim, stays in a close battle with Democratic governor contender Katie Hobbs as of Sunday noon.
Lake, like Trump in 2020, has raised doubt on the election’s legality and said she might not yield.
Right-wing sympathizers rallied for her Saturday. Some marchers held signs calling Hobbs and other Democrats “traitors” Their protest was based on the Old Testament book of Joshua, where the Israelites circled Jericho 7 times and blew horns.
According to the book of Joshua, the city’s formidable walls crumbled, letting the Israelites capture it easily.
It appears that Kari Lake supporters have completed their ‘March of Jericho’ around the Maricopa ballot counting center, and are now blowing a shofar. pic.twitter.com/yu6HXVV48j
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) November 12, 2022
Is This Blasphemy?
Arizona State Republican Rep. John Fillmore, who attended the protest said he did so because America is in “disarray.”
A video from the rally showed protesters singing Rich Mullins’ 1988 hymn “Awesome God.” Christian activist and writer Shane Claiborne claimed that Mullins would be upset if he heard the song at the rally.
According to Claiborne, Rich was very against mixing political power and Christianity and would have found politicization of the song a “subversion.”
What’s the Problem?
In another footage from the event, Lake fans are seen wandering about while a shofar horn plays. The shofar horn is prevalent at right-wing Christian nationalist gatherings, which promote Trump and 2020 conspiracy theories.
General Michael Flynn, Trump’s erstwhile domestic security strategist, is a Christian nationalist leader. Flynn and other Trump friends have portrayed Democrats and centrist Republicans as demonic. Some speakers have projected that senior Dems and Republicans will die this year.
Faithful America’s executive director Nathan Empsall claimed that “Christian patriotism” is a threat to America and to faith in the country.
He claimed it “manipulates” faith for political power.
Empsall said re-enacting the Battle of Jericho is a subliminal threat of political violence.
Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said protesters were “calm.” He advised public officials and politicians against their rallying themes.
“They had an aim and left on time,” he remarked. “If you’re an elected person and doing things to instigate a mob that can result in violence or felonies, not only should we punish you, but we should give you the bill.”
AP reports that Hobbs leads Lake by 1.4%, with 88% of the vote counted. The Democrat has 50.7% of the vote versus her opponent’s 49.3%. Hobbs has led her Republican opponent for most of the vote counting.
Democrats have also already won Arizona’s Senate and secretary of state seats. Like the governor’s race, the attorney general’s race is close.
