The long-time Christian nationalist behind Pastors for Trump is FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” for his recently launched bid for Congress in Oklahoma.
The pastor hosted a kickoff event the night of his campaign’s launch for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District at Sheridan Church, a “nondenominational charismatic church” where Lahmeyer is the lead pastor. The church has hosted many MAGA-aligned events featuring President Trump, his sons Eric and Donald Jr., daughter-in-law Lara, FBI Director Kash Patel and Trump lawyer Alina Habba.
In the weeks leading up to his campaign announcement, Lahmeyer heavily hinted at his run for Congress through his church activities, even inviting his congregation to his campaign launch event while on the church’s stage.
“I’m running to represent the values important to the people of this Oklahoma district,” Lahmeyer said while announcing his campaign. “I’m a pastor and a leader who has spent my life serving others and standing up for what’s right.”
“I spoke loudly when Covid restrictions and government overreach threatened my church,” he added. “Similarly, I have been outspoken in my support of President Trump and his America First agenda, including through my work with Pastors for Trump. The voters of this district can count on me to stand with President Trump and deliver America First leadership in a time when people are tired of chaos in Washington and want leaders they can trust.”
In his campaign speech, he identified border security, deporting undocumented immigrants, affordability and “not allowing one inch of American farmland to be owned by the Chinese Communist Party” as priorities. He also absurdly vowed to ensure that “Shariah law never takes root in the United States of America,” an increasingly common dog whistle among Christian nationalists.
In 2022, Lahmeyer founded Pastors for Trump, looking to win the evangelical Christian vote for Trump and solidify a Christian nationalist base behind Trump. When asked if the aim behind Pastors for Trump was to get pastors to direct their congregations to support Trump, Lahmeyer remarked, “Absolutely.” Pastors for Trump is active across all 50 states.
Lahmeyer himself has been aligned with Trump since 2015 and told the media last year that he had become close with the Trump family “a long time ago.” Lahmeyer is a member of the National Faith Advisory Board, which has worked “closely” with the White House Faith Office under the Trump administration.
For years, he has also embraced Christian nationalism. During a 2022 stop of the ReAwaken America tour, Lahmeyer proclaimed that he “will embrace Christian nationalism” because “we are at war in this country; it is a spiritual war between good and evil.” In September, Lahmeyer declared that Trump is intent on using this country’s 250th anniversary to make sure Americans know that “America was founded as a Christian nation, America is a Christian nation, and we’re gonna continue to be one.”
Lahmeyer has also said that Black Lives Matter was founded by “witchcraft-practicing lesbians,” claimed that Dr. Anthony Fauci was a “mass-murdering Luciferian,” and has called the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol an “inside job” by the FBI, alongside many other outlandish claims.
Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District is solidly red, and its representative will likely be decided in the Republican primary on June 16. Currently, Lahmeyer is one of four vying for the Republican nomination. Lahmeyer unsuccessfully ran against U.S. Sen. James Lankford in 2022, garnering about 26 percent of the vote. FFRF Action Fund emphatically urges Oklahoma voters not to vote Christian nationalists like Lahmeyer into public office.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.