Franklin Graham Sees a Way to Profit from the #BoycottWalmart Controversy

Reverend Franklin Graham continues his descent into something foreign and apart from what his father, the Reverend Billy Graham taught for so many years.

While Billy Graham preached the Gospel to the nations and stood as a spiritual adviser to presidents across party lines, his son not only gets in the gutter to support an adulterous, vile man, but seeks to profit from him, as well.

On Tuesday, there was a bit of a social media controversy, when it was discovered that the online website for retail giant, Walmart, featured a t-shirt for sale with sports jersey-styled lettering that read: Impeach 45. The resulting backlash from supporters of President Trump included the social media hashtag, #BoycottWalmart.

That’s how things are handled these days. So much outrage.

When the shirt controversy seemed to reach peak, Walmart issued a statement.

“These items were sold by third party sellers on our open marketplace, and were not offered directly by Walmart. We’re removing these types of items pending review of our marketplace policies,” the company said.

So that’s it. It was a third party seller and Walmart removed the offensive item.

Never let a crisis go to waste, right?

Franklin Graham immediately pounced, throwing himself headlong into the controversy.

“Walmart was in the news today for selling a T-shirt online that promotes ‘IMPEACH 45.’ That brought about a boycott against them, and rightfully so. I’m glad that they’ve now removed the shirts from their online store ‘pending review’ — that’s a good move on their part,” Graham wrote on Facebook.

Rightfully so? If a boycott over such a silly thing were successful, how many hard working Americans would be hurt? How many would go home to their families, laid off and out of work, scared about how they’d get their bills paid the next day?

“In the meantime, we came up with a T-shirt to promote something that can really make a difference — PRAYER! You can order ‘PRAY for 45’ (1 Timothy 2:1–2) at the Billy Graham Bookstore, Ruth’s Attic,” the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association president offered.

Wow. That was quick.

And yes, I absolutely believe we should pray for our leaders, but that means all of them.

At no time does that mean we attempt to keep divisions among the people stirred up, in order to milk a few bucks from the controversy.

A description for the “Pray for 45” T-shirt states that it is “a reminder that God instructs us to pray for those in leadership: ‘I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence’ (1 Timothy 2:1–2, NKJV).”

“Wear it to remind yourself and others of the power of prayer, and ask God to give our president wisdom as he leads,” the website advises.

I’m curious. Were there “Pray for 44” T-shirts?

Somehow, I doubt it.

Franklin Graham has made himself beholden to the Trump presidency and it is desperately unbecoming.

His siding with the Walmart boycotters is just disgusting, because that’s not what his role as a pastor should be.