Franklin Graham, son of the renowned evangelist Billy Graham, has strongly criticized the “Evangelicals for Harris” group, formerly “Evangelicals for Biden,” for their recent political ad.
This ad, which features footage of the late Billy Graham, has sparked a heated debate about the intersection of faith and politics.
The controversy centers on an attack ad against former President Donald Trump. In it, the group juxtaposes clips of Billy Graham discussing the importance of confessing sins with an old interview where Trump expresses uncertainty about whether he had ever asked God for forgiveness.
Franklin Graham took to social media to voice his disapproval.
He argued that the ad misrepresents his father’s views, stating, “They are trying to mislead people.”
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Graham asserted that his father had appreciated Trump’s conservative values and policies in 2016, and suggested that these views would have remained unchanged if Billy Graham were alive today.
“Evangelicals for Harris,” a project of the Faith Voters organization, quickly responded to Franklin Graham’s criticism. Their initial response was brief: “Praying for you,” accompanied by a heart emoji.
The liberals are using anything and everything they can to promote candidate Harris. They even developed a political ad trying to use my father @BillyGraham’s image. They are trying to mislead people. Maybe they don’t know that my father appreciated the conservative values and… pic.twitter.com/LZe3SEm9Al
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) August 14, 2024
In a subsequent post, the group accused Graham of having “forsaken the gospel” in his support for Trump.
This same group recently held an online conference featuring Ekemini Uwan, described as a “reparations activist.”
Uwan has expressed controversial views such as “Whiteness is wicked” and the police system “needs to be destroyed and rebuilt. Policing was founded on the re-enslavement of Black people.”
They later reposted Graham’s comments: “The issue, Franklin, is that in your worship of Trump you have forsaken the Gospel,” the group’s account posted. “We are voting for Harris but we only worship Jesus. Remember the calling to which you were called. You know the Lord’s grace is always ready to receive you,” the group said.
The issue, Franklin, is that in your worship of Trump you have forsaken the Gospel.
We are voting for Harris but we only worship Jesus. Remember the calling to which you were called. You know the Lord’s grace is always ready to receive you. https://t.co/MpPz5OmKCg
— Evangelicals For Harris (@Evangels4Harris) August 15, 2024
This exchange highlights the deep divisions within the evangelical community regarding political allegiances.
Franklin Graham’s defense of Trump extends beyond this recent incident.
At the Republican National Convention in July, Graham expressed gratitude for Trump’s presidency and voiced support for his potential return to office.
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He even led a prayer asking God to “Make America Great Again,” echoing Trump’s campaign slogan.
