Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano of Pennsylvania is slated to be the final speaker at a two-day multi-state speaking tour that features familiar conservative faces and conspiracy theories.
Mastriano, who has been consistently down in polls against Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro, will take part in the "ReAwaken America" rally featuring "QAnon proponents, 2020 election liars, COVID vaccine doubters, and other sundry and sullied conspiracy theorists," as described by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
On Wednesday, state Senator Mastriano introduced legislation to "protect kids from government intrusion and indoctrination."
This year's event in Manheim, Pennsylvania, includes Roger Stone, General Michael Flynn, former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, Mike Lindell, Eric Trump, Kash Patel and comedian Jim Breuer.
Stone was recently featured as part of the January 6 committee's ninth hearing, which insinuated that the former President Donald Trump ally ginned up violence prior to the conclusion of the 2020 election.
Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about contacts with a Russian ambassador and later resigned. Trump later pardoned him.
MyPillow CEO Lindell has been front and center since the 2020 election, alleging fraud and spending over $35 million of his own money in response to what he calls a fraudulent victory for President Joe Biden.
The event is founded by Clay Clark, host of the Thrivetime Show podcast and former emcee of the General Flynn ReAwaken America Tour, and Dr. Robert Zoellner.
An expected crowd of 5,000 guests, each paying about $250 per ticket or $500 for front-row seats, is expected at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex to see a lineup of approximately 70 speakers.
A poster for the event features a graphic showing "The Great Reawakening" side-by-side against the backdrop of "The Great Reset," displaying faces of former President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, George Soros and Mark Zuckerberg.
"The Great Reset" is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clark says his tour is not QAnon-focused, suggesting that some of the speakers are Libertarians but that does not make it a Libertarian event.
"I don't look to QAnon for wisdom," Clark told the Inquirer, using the analogy that just because some speakers may be Libertarian does not make it a Libertarian event.
Brian Kaylor, a Baptist minister and editor-in-chief of Word & Way, has previously documented this particular event, which in the past has consisted of "Flynn's #ChristianNationalist vision, demonizing of political opponents & use of militant rhetoric."
At ReAwaken America, Greg Locke attacked the Pope as "a pimp" who has "prostituted the church." Catholics are largest religious demographic in Pennsylvania (where event is being held). pic.twitter.com/djQFxlyK4g
— Brian Kaylor (@BrianKaylor) October 21, 2022
One of his posts showed conservative pastor Greg Locke, who has held book burnings of literature including Harry Potter and Twilight, and has threatened to expose "witches" in his church.
At the event, Locke reportedly referred to Pope Francis as "a pimp" who has "prostituted the church."
One video showed Clark saying that being a Christian nationalist is better than being an "atheistic globalist."
A speaker named Bo Polny showed photos of a list of individuals who he claimed will be killed by the "angel of death" by year's end.
Some of those people included Hillary Clinton, Biden, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Vice President Kamala Harris, Chris Wallace, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Stacey Abrams and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The Inquirer reported that prior to his primary election victory in May, Mastriano joined conservatives from around the country at the far-right Christian conference called "Patriots Arise for God and Country" in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
That event included a video claiming the world is experiencing a "great awakening" that will expose "ritual child sacrifice" and a "global satanic blood cult."
It is language similarly used by Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert, who on Wednesday told Republican colleagues at a dinner that she believes humanity is "in the last of the last days."
"You get to be a part of ushering in the second coming of Jesus," Boebert said.
Newsweek has reached out to Mastriano for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek reporter based in Michigan. His focus is reporting on Ukraine and Russia, along with social ... Read more
