President Donald Trump has locked horns with the Catholic Church, including the Pope himself, and has caused a controversy over an AI image of Jesus. Amid the row over Trump’s Jesus hug photo, Franklin Graham, an evangelical leader, has come out in the Republican’s support.
Trump shared a statement from Graham on his Truth Social platform. “I do not believe President Trump would knowingly depict himself as Jesus Christ—that would certainly be inappropriate. I’m thankful the President has made it very clear that this was not at all what he thought the Al generated image was representing—he thought it was a doctor helping someone, and when he learned of the concerns, he immediately removed the post,” the letter read.
Graham, a longtime Trump supporter, also spoke to Newsweek about the controversy, a day before the president shared a letter from the evangelical leader. Graham had said “I’m thankful the President has clarified that this was not at all what he intended and has removed the post.”
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Here’s all you need to know about Franklin Graham.
Who is Franklin Graham? 5 things to know
- Graham was born to Billy and Ruth Bell Graham, and grew up in the Appalachian Mountains outside Asheville, North Carolina.
- Graham has been the president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse since 1979. He’s acted as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association since 2001.
- Graham now lives in Boone, North Carolina and is married to Jane Austin Graham.
- Graham comes from a family devoted to faith. His father was known around the world as a spiritual leader at the time Graham was born. His maternal grandmother, Lemuel Nelson Bell, was a medical missionary to China for more than 20 years. She also co-founded Christianity Today, and served as its executive editor.
- Franklin Graham is estimated to have a net worth of around $10 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth.
Trump’s post from Graham comes at a time when others in his administration are under scrutiny as well. Most recently, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, was criticized for invoking the Bible but saying out a passage which was close to the one Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino used in the memorable Pulp Fiction scene, where Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta’s Jules and Vega go to make a collection on behalf of Marcellus Wallace. Hegseth, at the time, was criticizing reporters who ‘hated’ Trump, and comparing them with enemies of Jesus who plotted how to ‘destroy him’.
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