Should UK Christians go to Franklin Graham’s rallies?

Charles Colson was a senior member of President Nixon’s White House Staff who was sentenced to prison for his role in the Watergate cover-up. But having come to saving faith in Christ, he tells in his autobiography of what he witnessed when he would bring visitors to meet Nixon.

Colson would gather guests in a room near the Oval Office, where they would talk about what they were going to tell the President when they were face to face with him. ‘But it was always the same,’ Colson writes. ‘In the reception room they would rehearse their angry lines.’ But once they were in the Oval Office, ‘it was as if they’d suddenly sniffed some intoxicating fragrance. For invariably, the lions of the waiting room became the meek lambs of the Oval Office. And none were more cowardly than the religious leaders.’

I recalled this anecdote when I was reading of Franklin Graham’s response to recent events concerning President Trump. Franklin Graham is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and of Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organisation.

At a White House Easter Lunch, Paula White-Cain, head of the White House Faith Office, compared Donald Trump’s recent life story to that of Jesus. She said that the presidency had almost cost Trump his life, continuing: “You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. But it didn’t end there for Him and it didn’t end there for you. God always had a plan. On the third day, he rose, He defeated evil, He conquered death, hell, and the grave. And, Sir, because of His resurrection, you rose up; because He was victorious, you were victorious; and because of His victory, you will be victorious in all you put your hand to, because God is with you and God is using you to defeat evil, to restore families, to awaken the church, to harvest the nations, and to bring a worldwide revival.” ^[1]

In the room, listening to this questionable use of Scripture was Franklin Graham who came to the platform and gave it his blessing, as he prayed: “Father, you tell us in the book of Esther that the Persians, the Iranians, were wanting to kill every Jew woman and child and do it all in one day, but you raised up Esther to save the Jewish people. Father, we thank you. Today the wicked regime [in Iran] wants to kill every Jew and destroy them with an atomic fire. But you have raised up President Trump. You’ve raised him up for such a time as this and, Father, we pray that you’ll give him victory.” ^[1]

Given Paula White-Cain's background, one might make charitable allowances for her misuse of Scripture. But Franklin Graham knows what he’s doing. He knows that this is not the faithful application of Esther for today’s church. But he goes along with it.

A few days later, President Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself in flowing, first-century robes, laying hands on a sick man, surrounded by a woman in a posture of prayer. The image received widespread criticism, even from many within the evangelical community in America. Even fellow-Republican and avowed evangelical Christian House Speaker Mike Johnson was critical. Comments on social media suggested the image was “idolatrous” and “blasphemous”. Trump deleted the image, claiming he thought it showed him as a doctor!

Inevitably, Franklin Graham was asked what he thought of the image. Said Graham: “When I looked at the illustration, I didn’t jump to the same conclusion as some. There were no spiritual references – no halo, there were no crosses, no angels. It was a flag, soldiers, a nurse, fighter planes, eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and I think this is a lot to do about nothing. I think his enemies are always foaming at the mouth at any possible opportunity to make him look bad. President Trump didn’t draw this; he didn’t create it. He reposted it on his social media because he thought it was nice – and I would have to agree.” ^[2]

What very many Christians thought was blasphemous and disgusting, Franklin Graham declares to be “nice”! And by my criticising the President, Graham presumably brands me as an “enemy, always foaming at the mouth at any possible opportunity to make him look bad”, as he recently described Trump’s opponents. Graham is coming to England for an evangelistic rally in Manchester later this year. In the light of these remarks, is this a gathering that you would still feel comfortable attending?

Franklin Graham was approached for a response to this article but did not comment.

1. Extract from rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-remarks-easter-lunch-white-house-april-1-2026/
2. Taken from post by Franklin Graham on X, 16 April, 2026