Evangelist Franklin Graham has weighed in with his thoughts on the 2024 presidential election. While he did not endorse a candidate for the Republican nomination, he did hint at it while offering his thoughts on the political landscape generally speaking.
Graham’s remarks came at a press conference at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier this week.
As he spoke, Graham was flanked by former vice president Mike Pence, who was visiting the museum dedicated to Graham’s father to sign copies of his new book, “So Help Me God.” Pence also took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the Billy Graham Library’s new expansion.
While Pence is expected to seek the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election, he has not yet officially announced his candidacy.
“I’m not a Republican. I’m an Independent,” Graham said in response to a question about the Republican primary. “I’ve been an Independent probably for about 20 years…So I’m just disappointed in politics in America when you think of the divisions we have. We need to be coming together to try to solve the problems that we face as a nation.”
“And there just seems to be so much division—and it’s not just division but there’s almost a hatred that I haven’t seen before in politics,” Graham continued. “And it’s very disturbing to me. And I think the only hope for this nation is God. And to turn to him, and to ask him for his wisdom. And that’s my prayer is that this nation will turn to God, because he’s the only one who can lead us out of the problems we’re facing.”
When asked for his reaction to the announcement of Donald Trump’s re-election bid, Graham said, “I’m staying out of the Republican primary and the debate and that sort of thing. I’m focusing on what God has called me to do, and that’s to preach the gospel.”
“I appreciate, very much, former vice president Mike Pence,” Graham went on to say. “There are a number of Republicans that have great leadership ability, but Vice President Pence has served this nation, and he’s served it well. And I hope that his role in serving this nation is not finished.”
“It’s up to him. He hasn’t made any announcements,” Graham said when pressed about what he meant. “But what we’re going to do here in just a minute is we’re gonna go inside and have some fried chicken.”
