Franklin Graham: God ‘was behind’ Trump’s election

In an interview with the right-wing outlet The Western Journal, evangelist and evangelical leader Franklin Graham characterized President Trump as a figure sent by God who is also one of the “best presidents” America has ever had.

Graham heaped praise on Trump throughout the interview, saying the 45th President has accomplished a lot even though he hasn’t had a “fully supportive Republican majority,” adding that Trump “may go down in history as one of the best presidents we’ve had.”

“I think he has honored his commitments to the faith-based community,” Graham said. “He is pro-life, [the] first president really in my lifetime that has been this vocal about life. I certainly appreciate that about him.

Graham also said that Trump has delivered when it comes to appointing conservative judges to the Supreme Court.

“He’s put two Supreme Court justices so far on the bench that are conservative,” he told the outlet. “He’s appointed a number at lower courts. I hope that he’ll be able to do even more in that area, because that will have an impact on my [children’s] lives. If we have the right judges, it will benefit all of us.”

Echoing other pro-Trump evangelicals, Graham framed Trump’s election as a form of divine intervention, saying that God played a part in his rise to the Oval Office.

“I think God was behind the last election,” he said.

Graham’s comments come on the heels of his recent call for a special day of prayer late last month, where he took to Facebook and asked Christians across America  to “set aside” the following Sunday and spend it praying for Trump against his “enemies.”

“President Trump’s enemies continue to try everything to destroy him, his family, and the presidency,” Graham wrote in his May 26 post. “In the history of our country, no president has been attacked as he has. I believe the only hope for him, and this nation, is God. This is a critical time for America. We’re on the edge of a precipice. Time is short. We need to pray for God to intervene. We need to ask God to protect, strengthen, encourage, and guide the president.”

The outlet Graham spoke to, Western Journal, is known for publishing misleading headlines and unvetted content. According to the independent fact checking news watchdog Newsguard, Western Journal has published “numerous stories based on debunked conspiracy theories.”

Throughout the 2016 election season, Graham stumped for Trump hard, holding rallies in all 50 state capitals. When asked if he plans to do so in 2020, the son of the legendary evangelist Billy Graham said he doesn’t feel the need to.

“I think if Christians pray, pray for the president and pray for his administration, I think God will honor their prayers,” Graham said.

Featured image via The Charlotte Observer/YouTube

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.