“Evangelicals for Harris” is retracting several videos from an ad campaign using the words of evangelist Billy Graham to vilify President Donald Trump during the 2024 election.
The group, now rebranded as Evangelicals For America (EFA), said in a Tuesday press release it did not intend to paint Graham as a supporter of either political party and apologized to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) for its actions.
“Our intent was not to infringe on BGEA’s copyright or to give the impression that Rev. Graham would have taken a side in publicly supporting one political candidate over another in an election, so we apologize to BGEA,” the press release said.
The first ad in the group’s “Neighbor” campaign featured clips of Billy Graham quoting scripture and preaching before turning to contrasting quotes from Trump.
One clip featured Graham asking, “Have you been to the cross and said, ‘Lord, I have sinned’?”
Juxtaposed is a clip of Trump in 2015 responding to the question, “Have you ever asked God for forgiveness?”
Trump responded, “I’m not sure I have. I just, I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”
EFA said while it did not consult BGEA before using the video of Graham, it did not think the clips were violating copyright policies.
“BGEA wrote to us, concerned that we were infringing its copyright in the video clips of Rev. Graham by using them for political purposes without authorization,” the statement read.
EFA said it has “taken down” the videos, and promised it will “not repost” the clips with Graham.
At the time of the ad, Franklin Graham condemned the video, saying his father would not have approved of the ads, as he supported Trump’s policies and values in 2016. Franklin Graham said if his father were still alive, his “views and opinions would not have changed.”
BGEA wrote to the EFA requesting the group discontinue the use of copyrighted material, and Franklin Graham allegedly threatened legal action against EFA at the time of the videos’ release. However, EFA pushed back, claiming their use of Billy Graham was “absolutely critical to a healthy democracy.”
“Our ability to publicly discuss the moral failings of Donald Trump and how his behavior comports with the values espoused by evangelical leaders, including Billy Graham, is essential First Amendment expression,” the group said in a September letter to BGEA.
BGEA told the Daily Caller it stands behind Franklin Graham’s original post and said it is “grateful for the outcome” in this situation. (RELATED: Weirdly Sexual Democrat Ad Won’t Win Back Young Men Anytime Soon)
As of the time of publication, the videos have been removed from the group’s website. However, many remain on its X account.
“Our hope is that these actions and our commitment not to use Rev. Billy Graham within a partisan electoral context will clarify confusion over the message in our original ads; affirm the value and importance of Christian dialogue about the way we engage in politics, and prioritizes Christians remaining in communion despite differences,” the group’s apology reads.
“He never politicized the Gospel of Jesus Christ or the works he created through BGEA,” the group said of Graham in its apology note, adding he “aimed to win a hearing for the Gospel with all people, whether they were Americans who identified as Democrats, Republicans, or something else, or simply people from another country who had no context for American politics.”
