Franklin Graham Says ‘Shame’ on the Ten Republicans Who Voted to Impeach Trump

Franklin Graham, preacher and son of world-famous evangelist Billy Graham, who has been calling for peace, is also not happy that some Republicans in Congress have turned on President Donald J. Trump. Franklin minced no words in a recent report where he laid out his real feeling for those who turned on Trump after many evangelicals praised Donald Trump for being one of the most pro-Christian presidents of our time.

“Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with @SpeakerPelosi & 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.”

Shame, shame on the ten Republicans who joined with @SpeakerPelosi & 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.

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) January 14, 2021

Although many claimed that there were improprieties with the 2020 presidential election, it is clear now that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be taking over the White House. This being the case, many Republicans, even some who aren’t happy with his rhetoric of late, feel impeachment is too divisive all things considered.

Many Republicans truly loved President Trump, and although he wasn’t perfect, he came off as a regular guy who gave a voice to the people. It’s hard to tell if there will ever be another president like that again.

Meanwhile it’s also hard to tell if we will ever see another Republican president again. Even if mass mail in voting and other allegations helped Joe Biden’s race, demographic changes are going to make it harder and harder for Republicans to win nationwide if they don’t figure out way to change their strategy in a major way.

From NPR: the 10 House Reps who turned on Trump in the GOP are:

Here they are in order of the most pro-Trump districts:

1. Rep. Liz Cheney, Wyoming’s at-large district: Trump won Wyoming 70% to 27%, and she’s the third-ranking leader in the House. So for her not just to vote in favor of impeachment but also issue a stinging rebuke is quite the step. Cheney was unequivocal in her statement, saying Trump “summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack.” She called what Trump did the “greatest betrayal” of a U.S. president ever.

2. Rep. Tom Rice, South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District: This is one no one saw coming. The congressman, who has served since 2013, comes from a pretty pro-Trump district (Trump won it 59% to 40%), and there was no indication he would do so beforehand. Even during his vote, Twitter was alight with speculation that Rice had cast the wrong vote. Turns out, he cast it exactly as he wanted to. Later Wednesday, Rice explained: “I have backed this President through thick and thin for four years. I campaigned for him and voted for him twice. But, this utter failure is inexcusable.”

3. Rep. Dan Newhouse, Washington’s 4th: Trump won this central Washington state district by a handy margin, 58% to 40%. But for Newhouse, who has served since 2015 and has not been a prominent member, it was clear: “The mob was inflamed by the language and misinformation of the President of the United States. … A vote against impeachment is a vote to validate unacceptable violence” and “to condone President Trump’s inaction.”

4. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Illinois’ 16th: Kinzinger’s decision was probably the least surprising on this list. Despite coming from a district Trump won 57% to 41%, the Air Force veteran has been outspoken recently against Trump’s behavior. He said Trump “incited this insurrection” and “if these actions — the Article II branch inciting a deadly insurrection against the Article I branch — are not worthy of impeachment, then what is an impeachable offense?”

5. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, Ohio’s 16th: Gonzalez, a former NFL wide receiver, is in his second term in Congress. Trump won his district by 15 points, but Gonzalez was unequivocal: Trump, he said, “helped organize and incite a mob that attacked the United States Congress in an attempt to prevent us from completing our solemn duties as prescribed by the Constitution.” He added that during the attack, Trump “abandoned his post … thus further endangering all present.”

6. Rep. Fred Upton, Michigan’s 6th: Upton has been in office since 1987. He comes from a district that is more moderate. Trump won it just 51% to 47%. Upton has good relationships with Democrats, including President-elect Joe Biden, and even has #WearYourMask in his Twitter bio. Upton said he would have preferred a bipartisan censure that would not interfere with the business of the next administration, “but,” he said, “it is time to say enough is enough.” He also cited Trump’s efforts “to impede the peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next.”

7. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Washington’s 3rd: Herrera Beutler was swept in with the Tea Party wave in 2010, but her district is a moderate one. Trump won it 51% to 47%. Herrera Beutler gained prominence several years ago for giving birth to a child three months early, born without kidneys and a rare syndrome. Her daughter, Abigail, became the first to survive the often-fatal condition. The now-mother of three and congresswoman from southwest Washington state declared on the House floor her vote in favor of impeachment: “I’m not choosing sides, I’m choosing truth.”

8. Rep. Peter Meijer, Michigan’s 3rd: Meijer is a freshman, who won his seat with 53% of the vote. He represents a district that was previously held by Justin Amash, the former Republican-turned-independent who voted in favor of Trump’s impeachment in 2019. Meijer, a Columbia University grad who served in Afghanistan, is a social conservative in favor of restrictions on abortion rights and against restrictions on gun rights and religious freedoms. But he said Trump showed no “courage” and “betrayed millions with claims of a ‘stolen election.’ ” He added, “The one man who could have restored order, prevented the deaths of five Americans including a Capitol police officer, and avoided the desecration of our Capitol, shrank from leadership when our country needed it most.”

9. Rep. John Katko, New York’s 24th: Katko is a moderate from an evenly divided moderate district. A former federal prosecutor, he said of Trump: “It cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection.” He also noted that as the riot was happening, Trump “refused to call it off, putting countless lives in danger.”

10. Rep. David Valadao, California’s 21st: The Southern California congressman represents a majority-Latino district Biden won 54% to 44%. Valadao won election to this seat in 2012 before losing it in 2018 and winning it back in the fall. He’s the rare case of a member of Congress who touts his willingness to work with the other party. Of his vote for impeachment, he said: “President Trump was, without question, a driving force in the catastrophic events that took place on January 6.” He added, “His inciting rhetoric was un-American, abhorrent, and absolutely an impeachable offense.”

Time will tell if they get primary races next election or what happens next. Stay tuned for more.