Franklin Graham's call for prayers after Trump hush-money verdict brutally mocked
Evangelical leader Franklin Graham this week asked his followers to pray after the man whom he supports for president was found guilty of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to an adult film star.
Posting to Twitter shortly after the verdict came down, Graham wrote that "our country is at a crossroads" and added that "What we saw today has never happened before, and I think for the majority of Americans, it raises questions about whether our legal system can be trusted."
Graham's point in this regard is technically correct: No American president has ever been found guilty of falsifying business records to hid an affair with an adult film star.
Trump is also the first president in American history to have been impeached twice in the House of Representatives and the first to have been indicted for alleged crimes ranging from obstructing government efforts to retrieve top-secret national security documents from his property and for trying to defraud the United States by trying to illegally remain in power after losing the 2020 election.
Trump is also the first president to have been found liable by a jury for sexual abuse and defamation for his interactions with writer E. Jean Carroll.
Regardless, Graham argued that Trump's plight should prompt Americans to pray for the future of the nation.
"Pray for our nation, for God‘s guiding hand that this republic will be one nation under God with liberty and justice for all," he wrote.
Many of Graham's followers, however, were quick to mock him for defending a man who has now been convicted for engaging in decidedly un-Christ-like behavior.
"God answered our prayers today, Franklin," joked the anonymous Twitter user known as Machine Pun Kelly. "Perhaps you weren't listening."
"So Christians are now ok with cheating and lying?" asked Twitter user Chris Nelson. "What religion is this?"
"I was relieved to know that no man is above the law," replied Thomas P. Logan.
"Biden attends church weekly and asks forgiveness for his past sins," contended a Twitter user calling themselves "Old Hippie." "Trump bragged that he never asked forgiveness for his sins."
And another Twitter user called Graham out for suggesting earlier in the week that a Trump acquittal would be the result of divine intervention.
"Yesterday you posted 'Gods will be done,'" they wrote. "Now today, you’re questioning His will? So then was it disingenuous when you posted 'Gods will be done?' Or, was His 'will done' via 12 ordinary citizen jurors that rendered their verdict?"