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Donald Trump on Thursday praised the late religious broadcaster and political commentator Pat Robertson, who drew controversy for his comments about the LGBTQ+ community and critical race theory, among other topics.
Robertson, a Southern Baptist minister known for his conservative Christian beliefs, died Thursday at 93. He was the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and campaigned to become the Republican candidate in the 1988 presidential race but failed to win the GOP's nomination.
"Today the World lost an incredible and powerful Voice for Faith and Freedom. Pat Robertson showed us that Belief in God produces results that can change the course of History. Pat's legacy lives on in the many endeavors and lives that he touched. He will be greatly missed. Our hearts and prayers are with his Family!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Franklin Graham, the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, also mourned Robertson and praised the right-wing media personality.
"Pat Robertson, a great friend to my father, to me, and to our ministries, has moved to a new address in Heaven. Heaven is real and awaits everyone who puts their faith and trust in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I will miss Pat, but I know that I will see him again one day. I'm sure that his family would appreciate our prayers," he tweeted.
Some social media commentators had different reactions and sentiments when reacting to the news of Robertson's death and cited his far-right views on social issues.
Erin Reed, an independent journalist and activist, tweeted: "20 years ago, gay marriage bans swept the United States. Pat Robertson was on TV, every major news network, fueling them with his fundamentalist rhetoric. He was the Matt Walsh of that fight. He will not be missed, nor will his replacements in today's war against trans people."
Keith Boykin, a White House aide to President Bill Clinton, posted a clip on Twitter showing Robertson speaking during various TV appearances.
"Pat Robertson, the right-wing televangelist and former Republican presidential candidate who espoused racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, AIDSphobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic bigotry on air for decades, has died," Boykin tweeted.
Twitter user Charlotte Clymer cited Robertson's comments about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that killed thousands.
"A day after an earthquake in Haiti killed 160,000 people, Pat Robertson went on The 700 Club and blamed Haitians, claiming they 'made a deal with the Devil.' Here's video of his remarks. He never apologized. Imagine those grieving hearing this," Clymer said.
Gillian Branstetter, the communications strategist at the American Civil Liberties Union, tweeted, "Pat Robertson--who cheered the spread of AIDS as 'God weeding his garden,' blamed 9/11 on feminists and the ACLU, blamed Hurricane Katrina on abortion, and equated same-sex marriage with pedophilia--has died. Happy Pride Month."
Robertson claimed that the September 11, 2001, attacks were acts of God in response to pornography, abortion-rights advocacy and church-state separation, according to the Associated Press. In a comment about 9/11, he described Islam as a violent religion that seeks to "dominate" and "destroy."
Among his recent comments, the former televangelist said last year that Russian President Vladimir Putin was fulfilling biblical prophecy by invading Ukraine. In 1998, he warned Orlando, Florida, about hurricanes as a result of the annual Gay Days event at Disney World.
Newsweek reached out by email to the Center for American Progress, a liberal public policy organization, for comment on Robertson's death.
Robertson, who was widely known for hosting CBN's 700 Club TV show starting in 1966, had an "enormous" influence on religion and politics in the U.S., John Green, a political science professor at the University of Akron, told the AP in 2021.
"He opened up a path that many people have followed," Green said. "Surveys show that lots and lots of people view—in one format or another—religious broadcasting these days. But in politics I think what he did was help cement the alliance between conservative Christians and the Republican Party."
About the writer
Fatma Khaled is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics, world ... Read more