Franklin Graham says Republicans who voted to impeach Trump are like Jesus’ betrayer

Evangelist Franklin Graham compared Republicans who voted in favor of President Donald Trump’s second impeachment to Judas, who betrayed Jesus Christ in the Bible.

“Shame, shame,” Graham wrote in a Facebook post that blasted 10 GOP members of the U.S. House of Representatives for joining Democrats to support an article of impeachment against the president for “incitement of insurrection.”

Some members of Congress called for the vote after last week’s siege at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. A mob stormed inside the building as lawmakers met to certify presidential electoral college votes for Joe Biden. Five people died during the course of the violent day.

After the riot, Graham called for prayers for the incoming presidential administration, McClatchy News reported.

“The division in our country is as great as any time since the Civil War,” he wrote last week on Twitter. “I am calling on Christians to unite our hearts together in prayer for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and for the leadership in both parties.”

Graham, leader of the North Carolina-based charity Samaritan’s Purse and son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, has been a vocal supporter of Trump. Citing the economy, prison reform, abortion and other issues, Franklin Graham continued to tout the president after the U.S. House voted 232 to 197 on Wednesday to impeach him.

“The House Democrats impeached him because they hate him and want to do as much damage as they can,” Graham said in a Facebook post Thursday. “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.”

In the Bible, the apostle Judas turns on Jesus in exchange for 30 pieces of silver.

Graham, who said he didn’t “support or agree with some of the things the President said and did the last couple of weeks” wondered how some Republicans could side with the Democrats.

“After all that he has done for our country, you would turn your back and betray him so quickly?” Graham asked.

Among the Republican lawmakers voting to impeach Trump was Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina, who referenced the president’s speech to supporters before the Capitol siege.

“Under the strict definition of the law, I don’t know if the President’s speech last Wednesday morning amounted to incitement of a riot, but any reasonable person could see the potential for violence,” Rice said in a statement.

It’s not the first time Graham has weighed in on an impeachment decision.

As House Democrats moved forward with an impeachment inquiry against the president in October 2019, the evangelist took to Twitter to say Trump needed prayer. In the same post, Graham promoted T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “Pray for 45,” a reference to Trump’s role as the 45th U.S. president.

“@SpeakerPelosi and her followers in Congress have weaponized the impeachment process,” he wrote in another tweet at the time. “This is just another attempt to tarnish and embarrass @POTUS @realDonaldTrump before the next election.”

That time around, no House Republicans voted to impeach Trump for accusations he pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden in exchange for aid.

The latest article of impeachment is set to go before the U.S. Senate, which is in a recess period until Tuesday.