Two tweets from Reverend Franklin Graham, head of the Samaritan’s Purse ministry, on Thursday excoriated the 10 Republicans who joined the Democrats in impeaching the president. In a vote of 232-197, the House voted to impeach President Trump for an unprecedented second time, this time for alleged intemperate remarks he made at a rally on January 6.
Trump’s remarks were followed by riots at the Capitol, and the Democrats, under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, proclaimed that they were the causative agent behind the riots. It didn’t matter that the president clearly told protestors to not engage in violence, and to go home peacefully.
The 10 Republicans — Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio), Peter Meijer (Michigan), Fred Upton (Michigan), Liz Cheney (Wyoming), John Katko (New York), Adam Kinzinger (Illinois), Tom Rice (South Carolina), Jamie Herrera Beutler (Washington), Dan Newhouse (Washington), and David Valadao (California) — joined with the Democrats in their attack on the president.
Franklin Graham’s first tweet was a prelude to his second, issued on Thursday:
Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with Speaker Pelosi & the House Democrats in impeaching President Trump yesterday.
After all that he has done for our country, you would turn your back & betray him so quickly? What was done yesterday only further divides our nation.
He was just getting warmed up. Hours later he let fly with this tweet:
Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in impeaching President Trump yesterday.
After all that he has done for our country, you would turn your back and betray him so quickly?
We have never had a president like him in my lifetime. He gave us lower taxes, a strong economy, and low unemployment. He made NATO take notice and pay their own way. He had the guts to take on North Korea and meet with their leader personally.
He didn’t let China walk all over us. Just his Mideast peace initiatives in the last couple of months deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. He has defended religious liberty like no president before him, and that matters to all people of faith.
He has worked to bring prison reform and secured our southern border. He defeated the ISIS caliphate in Syria, and he strengthened our military. He was also the most pro-life president we have ever had.
But the House Democrats impeached him because they hate him and want to do as much damage as they can. And these ten, from his own party, joined in the feeding frenzy.
It makes you wonder what the thirty pieces of silver were that Speaker Pelosi promised for this betrayal.
Graham was referring to Judas Iscariot, the disciple of Jesus who betrayed him, setting the stage for His faux trial, conviction, and death by crucifixion. Iscariot had been with Jesus for nearly three years. The 10 betrayers had been with Trump for four, and when they saw their opportunity to betray him, they seized it.
Pastor Robert Jeffers, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, remained strongly supportive of the president. Following the betrayal by the 10 Republicans, he tweeted:
Great talks today with President Trump and Mike Pence. When a reporter asked if I regretted my support, I said “Absolutely not! Most pro-life and religious liberty President and VP in history!”
Uber-investor Warren Buffett has famously said (in referring to investors who have overextended themselves): “You never know who’s swimming naked until the tide goes out!” The 10 Republican turncoats have decided that the tide is turning against Trump and in their own self-interest have decided to join the other side. Any pretense or claim that they are just following the Constitution has been obliterated, and voters are likely to remember.
The House Speaker likely didn’t need to offer a bribe. She knew that, when it came down to the final vote on impeachment, she could count on several Republicans to kick the president to the curb.
Now the voters know who they are. And the mid-term election in 2022 is less than two years away.
