Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Texas Megachurch Pastor Apologizes After Video Of Congregation Chanting 'Let's Go Brandon' Sparks Outrage

Texas Megachurch Pastor Apologizes After Video Of Congregation Chanting 'Let's Go Brandon' Sparks Outrage
@patriottakes/Twitter

Matt Hagee, the executive pastor of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, issued an apology after a video of the congregation chanting "Let's go Brandon!" sparked controversy.

The video was taken during a stop on the "ReAwaken America" tour, a series of events organized by far-right activists that has amplified baseless claims about the integrity of the 2020 general election as well as the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.


You can watch it below.

In his apology, Hagee attempted to distance himself from the event's organizers, saying they had not been "properly vetted":

"Regrettably, the organisation was not properly vetted. The Church is not associated with this organisation and does not endorse their views."
"I was invited to welcome the crowd where I thanked veterans for their service and thanked the crowd for their commitment to their faith. I deeply regret, and ask forgiveness, for what took place in the Cornerstone sanctuary as a result of my oversight."

The "Let's go Brandon!" chant has been used by conservatives to denigrate President Joe Biden. It began in October after an anti-Biden rap song began making the rounds, eventually rising to the top of the iTunes hip-hop chart.

The song, entitled "Let's Go Brandon," is performed by rapper Loza Alexander and went viral on TikTok.

It was inspired by the "Let's go Brandon!" meme that has taken social media by storm since NBC's Kelli Stavast interviewed NASCAR driver Brandon Brown after he came in first place at Alabama's Talladega Superspeedway in early October.

The interview went viral because the crowd could be heard chanting "F*** Joe Biden" in the background, which Stavast misheard as "Let's go Brandon!"

The moment, and the use of the chant since, is widely viewed as an example of the heightened political polarization in American politics as the Biden administration continues to work on bridging the gaps in a stalled legislature in an effort to codify its social and economic agenda.

Few see Hagee's apology as genuine and many have called on the Cornerstone Church to be taxed for violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which is often interpreted to require separation of church and state.









The "ReAwaken America" event made headlines last week after former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, one of its keynote speakers, called for the United States to have a single religion.

Such claims are in direct opposition to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which, among others, decrees that Congress "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

And despite the controversy surrounding the "Let's go Brandon!" meme, it's safe to say that President Biden appears to have a sense of humor about it, as when he met with a man named Brandon to drum up support for his administration's "Build Back Better" intiative.

Although neither the President nor his social media and PR team confirmed that Biden was slyly putting divisive rhetoric to sleep, he received praise from social media users for subverting the joke.

More from People

Four people standing together; one holds a guitar.
American Idol/ABC

Carnie Wilson Speaks Out After Daughter Hit With 'Cruel' Comments Following 'American Idol' Audition

Carnie Wilson of the '90s pop vocal trio Wilson Phillips spoke out in response to the slew of cruel comments leveled at her 19-year-old daughter Lola Bonfiglio after she auditioned for American Idol .

"I just wanna say, we're human, and the internet is so cruel. It can be so cruel," Wilson said during the "Music of the ’90s" panel at 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from TikToker @emilyrathbooks' video
@emilyrathbooks/TikTok

Author Epically Unloads On Trump-Supporting Fan Who Claims 'Not All Of Us Are Horrible'

Author Dr. Emily Rath refused to give a free pass to a fan who supports Republican President Donald Trump and claimed in a comment that "not all of us are horrible."

Rath, a full-time author who loves international politics, shared a now-viral video in which she gave a fiery response to a TikToker named "Jordyn" who wrote, "As a Trump supporter, I love your books. Not all of us are horrible.".

Keep ReadingShow less
Brooke Rollins
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Leaked Memo Reveals USDA Has Banned Massive List Of Terms Including 'Climate' And 'Pollution'

On his first day in office, Republican (MAGA) President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders (EOs).

Among them was the MAGA movement's response to "woke."

Keep ReadingShow less
Tim Walz; Elon Musk
Mario Tama/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Tim Walz Promises To Stop Mocking Musk Over Tesla's Decline—But Only On One Condition

After billionaire Elon Musk called Minnesota Governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz a "huge jerk" for openly celebrating Tesla's stock market tumble, Walz assured Musk he'd stop—but only if Musk takes his hands off Social Security benefits for millions of Americans.

Late last month, as news outlets reported that Tesla shares have plunged over 40% since January, wiping out the entire “Trump bump” that had temporarily driven the stock up more than 90% following Election Day, Walz said he added Tesla to the stock app on his phone to add a pick-me-up to his day.

Keep ReadingShow less
Viola Davis; Timothée Chalamet
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

Viola Davis' Reaction To Getting Shoutout In Timothée Chalamet's SAG Awards Speech Has Fans Cheering

It's always nice when one talented person in a field can recognize another.

This was the case when actor Timothée Chalamet, accepting his SAG award earlier this year, called fellow actor Viola Davis as "one of the greats" in his acceptance speech.

Keep ReadingShow less