Franklin Graham has taken to Facebook to blast the ten House Republican lawmakers who sided with Democrats in voting to impeach President Donald Trump for a second time. He even goes as far as to compare them to Judas: the disciple of Jesus who betrayed him for money.
The evangelical preacher, who is known for his efforts to roll back any advancement of LGBTQ rights, posted his diatribe yesterday.
Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in impeaching President Trump…
Posted by Franklin Graham on Thursday, January 14, 2021
“Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in impeaching President Trump yesterday,” he began. “After all that he has done for our country, you would turn your back and betray him so quickly?
He then goes on to say something we can probably all agree upon.
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“We have never had a president like him in my lifetime.” However, he then sets out his reasons for saying this.
“He gave us lower taxes, a strong economy, and low unemployment. He made NATO take notice and pay their own way. He had the guts to take on North Korea and meet with their leader personally. He didn’t let China walk all over us. Just his Mideast peace initiatives in the last couple of months deserve a Nobel Peace Prize.”
Yes, he did say he believes Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
“He has defended religious liberty like no president before him, and that matters to all people of faith,” he gushes. “He has worked to bring prison reform and secured our southern border. He defeated the ISIS caliphate in Syria, and he strengthened our military. He was also the most pro-life president we have ever had. But the House Democrats impeached him because they hate him and want to do as much damage as they can. And these ten, from his own party, joined in the feeding frenzy. It makes you wonder what the thirty pieces of silver were that Speaker Pelosi promised for this betrayal.”
Graham does concede that Trump is not without fault.
“President Trump isn’t a perfect person,” he offers – possibly as a contender for understatement of the year. “I don’t support or agree with some of the things the President said and did the last couple of weeks. January 6 was a low point in his presidency.
“We knew he had flaws when he ran for office in 2016. But I, and millions of others, voted for him because of the platform and policies he promised. I still support those. The Democrats have been trying to get rid of the President since the day he took office. What they did yesterday only further divides our nation. I hope President-elect Biden will keep his word and work for unity as he has said.”
Related: Franklin Graham attacks Anthony Fauci because “Science isn’t truth. God is.”
The posting has prompted over 50,000 comments and 76,000 shares.
As you may expect, these include those lambasting Graham for his view, such as this one from a fellow man of faith, Re. Dr. Chuck Currie.
“Donald Trump could incite an insurrection against the United States, which results in the death of police officers and civilians, and he wouldn’t lose Franklin Graham. Which, of course, is exactly what has happened.”
Others – presumably MAGA hat wearers – criticized Graham for even suggesting that Trump had anything to do with the storming of the Capitol on January 6.
“He did not insight the riot..his words were march peaceably to the Capitol..lawyers have said you cannot insight a riot by saying something,” said one Sharon Black.
It also led to Franklin Graham trending on Twitter, with some calling his wording “unhinged”.
This full post by @Franklin_Graham comparing the Republicans who voted to impeach Trump to Judas is unhinged. Trump’s presidency has served as a CAT scan on white evangelical Christianity in America; much of what’s been revealed is sick and sickening. pic.twitter.com/WqVfAESsle
— Peter Wehner (@Peter_Wehner) January 15, 2021
Trump is a pathological lying, deranged, unrepentant, sociopathic, racist, rapist.
He racially divided the nation, defended white supremacy, exacerbated a deadly pandemic, caused the deaths of 400K people, incited a deadly insurrection, and you still think he’s ‘God’s chosen?’ https://t.co/XcItsp5Kpj
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) January 15, 2021
Many pointed out that if Graham was comparing the GOP to Judas, he was indirectly comparing Trump to Jesus, which prompted some derision.
Republicans are comparing Trump to Jesus.Fair enough. Nail him up, if he comes back in three days, I’ll admit I was wrong.
— Kir@n Kum@r (@Kirn98557867) January 15, 2021
Just when we all thought the US had finally hit rock bottom. They go lower, when one of their grifting money worshipping god bothering preachers compares Trump to Jesus. The only thing Trump & Jesus have in common is neither of them have a Twitter account.
— Felicity Reynolds (@FlickReynolds) January 15, 2021
Some former followers of Graham were also disgusted.
I’m ashamed to have ever been associated in any way with American evangelicalism. It’s just Nationalism with Jesus seasoning.
— 💲Tax Sphincter Says What💲 (@swordywordy1) January 14, 2021
Related:Franklin Graham defends antigay volunteer policy by comparing gays to drug addicts
Franklin Graham led prayers during Donald Trump’s Inauguration ceremony in 2017, and has been a constant defender of the President during his time in office. Despite his clear admiration of Trump, last week, even he was among those to urge the outgoing President to commit to a smooth transition of power.
“I hope you will quickly invite President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and their spouses to the White House for a meeting to begin the healing and preparation for a smooth transition,” he said in a message to Trump on Facebook. “We are praying for you, Vice President Mike Pence, President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris, and our other leaders in Washington.
dhmonarch89
I’m starting to think Graham is involved in the Epstein circle.
Cam
Grahamn doesn’t represent a religion anymore. He represents a financial grift that uses politics and ties to politicians to protect his cash funnel.
Heywood Jablowme
Now that Trump and Jesus are the same person, we can exile him to that island in Hawaii where all the lepers live!
rbernard
Oh, goodness and for the love of god.
Simply stated, you can judge a religious bigot by whom he associates and supports.
Franklin Graham is an longtime supporter and advocate of Donald Trump.
Franklin Graham is also a:
* sourpuss
* poser
* white supremacist
* psychopath
* and a hypocrite
trsxyz
Franklin Graham is an opportunist plain & simple. Has anyone seen his TV commercial exploiting people’s fears during this pandemic? It encourages you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior. It also implores you to “call this phone number to have someone on the other end pray with you”. (And to probably ask for your money as well…)
Jim
Franklin Graham is a white supremacist. Why would this surprise anyone.
hankscott
He’s the leader of America’s Taliban. I bet he’s expecting to receive 7 virgins if he gets to Heaven after destroying America’s democracy
Mister P
Most of what he calls accomplishments can’t be attributed to Dump Wad. The others are not good. The low taxes is only for rich people like preachers who are making a fortune swindling people with made up stories in an ancient book.
Blue Zoo
And these “mid-East peace initiatives” that “deserve the Nobel prize” involved some pretty dubious deal-making. Like undercutting the independence movement in the Western Sarhara in exchange for a vague pledge from Morocco to resume diplomatic relations, or giving the Sudan immunity from terror-related lawsuits and taking them off the state-sponsored terrorist list, or agreeing to sell fighter jets to the UAE. It’s a win-win for everyone, except anyone involved any of the regions core-conflicts.
jayceecook
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
Somebody can CC, tweet, post, @ or whatever the above to Franklin Graham to show him who the real Judases are.
novadude
“What [the Democrats] did yesterday only further divides our nation.”
So Trump breaking the “Thou shall not lie” commandment nearly every time he speaks and then using those he actively lied to as pawns in an attempted insurrection helps heal the nation’s divide?
Graham is just another in a painfully long line of delusional christian hypocrites. (Note the small “c”.)
Phillip
Dear Franklin,
Why don’t you start your own congregation and church so you’ll get off the street and start preaching in your own building your own hateful messages? You never preach the Gospel of Jesus, but you sure do talk too much about politics, gays and lesbians and transsexuals.
Perhaps the reason for this is that no one wants to listen to your trash-talk? Perhaps you wouldn’t be a tax-exempt organization if you didn’t preach the Gospel. I would guess you aren’t even a real preacher. No one has asked for your opinions yet you continue to give them. I know I wish you would just shut your pie-hole and go on leave of absence until you could behave yourself. No one even likes you.
I know the bible says we shouldn’t be judgmental and I’m not a religious person at all, but YOU claim to be, yet you judge everyone. Perhaps you should read your bible again and get right with your god. You’ve really strayed off the path towards your god.
The real Bruce
The Rev. Billy Graham was a man of honor who walked with many Presidents, but did NOT use his pulpit to preach politics. I liked him very much. He once said, “Jesus was not humanly divine, but he was divinely human.” Maybe its high time Franklin Graham should look to the Heavens and ask his father for forgiveness. And then the other Father too. Peace.
gaym50ish
When it comes to homophobia, Billy Graham was as bad as, or maybe worse than, his son Franklin.
hankscott
These evangelical Christians are America’s Taliban!
JromeGervais09
I was born into a hard right rethuglican, fundamentalist family. Hard to get out of that concentration camp. I made preaching the separation of church and state one of my life long callings. I made the simile of the Fundamentalist Evangelicals to be a like sect of the Taliban. The Evangelical Nationalism with a sprinkling of Jesus flavoring is a wonderful analogy.
FridM
Concentration camps for the Donnie Dump, his family and all of the right wingnut freaks that enable them like this loser!
Gadfeal
How on earth can the “greatest democracy on earth” allow “Churches” to be mouthpieces for political propaganda, and yet the IRS continue to allow them to function as non-profit religious establishments??? In almost every democratic nation I’ve lived, they would be stripped of all tax incentives, and even subject to claw back of prior fraudulent tax filings.
Tim
Mr Graham… if you’re going make political waves, PAY TAXES. If you don’t want to PAY TAXES, stfu.