Franklin Graham claimed his father Billy Graham voted for Trump — but his past statements suggest he’s lying

In the wake of Christianity Today’s op-ed that excoriated President Trump for his multitudinous moral failings, Franklin Graham is really stirring the pot, claiming that the magazine’s founder, his widely respected father the late Billy Graham, voted for Trump in 2016.

Now he’s managed to kick off a major squabble within his own family after tweeting his disapproval of the piece, claiming that his father voted for Trump in 2016 and “believed Donald J. Trump was the man for this hour in history of our nation.”

Billy Graham’s grandsons, Aram Tchividjian and his brother Boz Tchividjian, couldn’t help but use a little snark while simultaneously noting their grandfather’s mental state and his political views. A third grandson, Tullian Tchividjian pointed out that his grandfather regretted ever becoming involved in politics, and granddaughter Jerusha Duford (Graham Jr.’s niece) also concurred that his health was too poor for him to have voted.

In his tweet, Aram Tchividjian sarcastically wrote:

“I’ll never forget that day in 2016 when my grandfather, @BillyGraham, shrugged off the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and hydrocephalus, got up out of bed for the first time in a year, drove down to the polling station, and cast his vote. What a glorious memory!”

And Tullian Tchividjian noted:

“My grandad @billygraham told me on more than one occasion that one of his greatest regrets from when he was younger was getting swept into politics as a preacher of the gospel and an ambassador of the world to come, not this one.”

Jerushah Duford noted:

“In 2018, my sweet 99-year-old grandfather went Home. For years before that (including during the 2016 election), he was bedridden and suffering from hydrocephalus. Our visits consisted of quietly sitting with him holding his hand while he lay in bed. On the occasion I would find him awake, he would smile, say hello, squeeze my hand, and always tell me he loved me before falling back into a peaceful sleep.”

But more importantly, she added:

“I believe that assigning feelings to a man who is not here to agree or disagree with those assignments is dangerous.”

Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham’s daughter, and Franklin Graham’s daughter, Cissie Graham Lynch were the only family members who seemed to concur with Franklin Graham. Lotz took pains to note Christianity Today and Mark Galli, who wrote the controversial op-ed, were “off message,” while Lynch tweeted this response from Trump.

But here’s something else: Franklin Graham either has a very poor memory, or he’s delusional. His own comments on his father’s health, from an interview with The Charlotte Observer on his father’s 98th birthday, just days before the 2016 election, demonstrate what poor physical conditon the beloved evangelist was.

When the reporter asked him how his father was doing, this was Graham’s response:

“Not great. He’s 98. He’s real quiet. Doesn’t say much,” adding, that he “can’t see. His mind is clear. … But he speaks in sentences of one word.”

Graham also told the newspaper that his dad “knows who’s running and that kind of stuff,” but added they didn’t discuss the election much.

So a 98-year-old man who speaks in one-word sentences and is blind, bedridden with Parkinson’s disease and hydrocephalus somehow managed to get up the gumption and vote?

Megan Hamilton

Megan Hamilton has traveled extensively throughout the Southern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America. A lifelong atheist, these travels have informed her political views. She currently lives in a remote location with a large herd of cats and four dogs.

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