Kenneth Copeland is a televangelist, private jet enthusiast and yuge supporter of President Donald Trump and he, like the President himself, remains skeptical of President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory. He’s so skeptical, in fact, that he burst into laughter in front of a crowd while discussing the election. Well, “burst” into laughter isn’t quite the right word. It’s not entirely clear what is going on here, as Copeland’s laugh begins mockingly, slowly evolves into something a little more maniacal and finally starts to sound a little more like the scream of a man on a never-ending rollercoaster drop before taking a shrill turn at the tail end, somewhat reminiscent of a child on a pony ride.
Televangelist Kenneth Copeland laughs at the media for declaring that Joe Biden has won the election and will become president. pic.twitter.com/ARHqmsEbo7
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) November 8, 2020
Copeland’s laugh here appears to signal his doubts about the validity of Biden’s win — a belief he shares with several major figures in Trump’s orbit even as Biden’s margin continues to grow in key states as more votes are counted. Trump’s team is mounting legal challenges in several states and a recount is likely in Georgia, which narrowly flipped for Biden in an enormous victory for Democrats. Though Trump has refused to concede the election, other major Republican figures like former President George W. Bush and Senator Mitt Romney have extended their congratulations and there are reports that Trump’s wife Melania and his son-in-law Jared Kushner have both urged the President to accept the election results.
Though this is the first time Copeland has gone viral for casting aspersions on election security, his antics have gotten attention before — most recently for his 2019 appearance on Inside Edition, where his conversation with reporter Lisa Guerroro was as awkward as it was disturbing.
