The Rev. Franklin Graham has advised President Donald Trump to refrain from using profanity in his speeches, warning the potential spiritual and cultural consequences of foul language.
In a post on X, Graham directed his followers to an interview he conducted with Deseret News on the subject, sharing the Bible verse Matthew 12:36, which states, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”
Graham noted that “President Donald J. Trump has mentioned several times publicly a letter I wrote to him about his use of ‘salty’ language,” in which he explained, “Your storytelling is great, but it could be so much better if you didn’t use foul language.”
He expressed that his recommendation to Trump stems from a desire for the president to set a positive example in a culture increasingly influenced by profanity.
Graham remarked, “The president, his pulpit — his microphone — is huge, and it carries a lot of weight. So I’m going to continue to try to encourage him. He’s not just the president of this country. He is a world figure that other nations, other presidents, other people, look up to and want to emulate. … That microphone goes a long way.”
Although Trump assured a rally crowd in the past that he disagreed with Graham's views on his use of profanity, he also mentioned that he had “been working so hard” to limit his swearing at rallies. The then-presidential candidate argued that the length of his speeches justified using “one or two” swear words stating, “If you don’t, you don’t get the emphasis.”
Franklin Graham, who leads the charitable organizations Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has been a prominent supporter of Trump, despite his critiques of the president's language.
In 2021, he compared the ten Republicans in the U.S. House who voted to impeach Trump to Judas Iscariot, praising Trump for his contributions to the country and asserting, “We have never had a president like this in my lifetime.”
Furthermore, Graham has commented on the criminal charges against Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election, labeling them as “politically motivated” and the result of fears from the media and political Left about Trump’s potential return to the White House.
Most recently, He delivered an invocation at Donald Trump’s second inauguration earlier this year. In his prayer, Graham referenced verses from Psalms, Daniel, and Samuel to highlight God’s sovereignty over nations and leaders, calling for God to grant Trump wisdom and strength.
Graham compared Trump’s leadership to that of the biblical figure Moses, praying, “You and you alone saved his life and raised him up with strength and power by your mighty hand.”
