Billy Graham granddaughter blesses out Donald Trump, calls him a ‘megalomaniac’
A granddaughter of the late Charlotte-born evangelist Billy Graham blessed out Donald Trump in an opinion piece in Newsweek, calling him a megalomaniac and reiterating her support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 presidential election.
“As someone who enjoyed the privilege of growing up around the revered minister Dr. Billy Graham — or as we grandchildren knew him, ‘Daddy Bill’ — I recognize very little in former President Donald Trump of the Christian faith that has inspired my life,” Jerushah Duford wrote Wednesday.
“Trump’s words and actions are fundamentally incompatible with evangelical principles,” Duford said.
Duford is one of Billy and Ruth Graham’s 19 grandchildren. Her mother is Virginia Graham Tchividjian, Graham’s eldest daughter.
On Aug. 14, Duford joined 18 other speakers on a Zoom call hosted by Evangelicals for Harris, McClatchy reported at the time.
“Voting Kamala, for me, is so much greater than policies,” Duford said in a pre-recorded video shown during the call. “It’s a vote against another four years of faith leaders justifying the actions of a man who destroys the message Jesus came to spread.”
Duford mentions nothing in Wednesday’s opinion piece about a prominent member of her family’s alignment with Trump — Billy and Ruth Graham’s eldest son, Franklin.
Franklin Graham is president and CEO of the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Boone-based Samaritan’s Purse international relief organization.
Graham most recently appeared with Trump in Concord on Wednesday. On Twitter, now known as X, Graham said he was asked to speak and “lead in prayer at an event with President Donald J. Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, and other faith leaders.”
“I told the crowd that rallies and positive polls won’t win this election — only God can do that,” Graham said on X. “God is the only hope for Donald Trump and He is the only hope for our nation. Would you take a moment tonight ... join me in praying for President Trump, for this nation, and for this election?”
Graham also has criticized a pro-Harris political group’s anti-Trump ad that uses Billy Graham’s images and words.
The group, Evangelicals for America, formerly Evangelicals for Harris, apologized in a statement on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
“Our intent was not to infringe on Billy Graham Evangelical Association’s copyright or to give the impression that Rev. Graham would have taken a side in publicly supporting one political candidate in an election, so we apologize to BGEA,” according to the group.
Also, in July 2024, Trump thanked Franklin Graham for attending Trump’s acceptance of his party’s third nomination for president.
“He’s an outstanding man,” Trump said, drawing applause at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Trump quipped during the event about Graham’s letter urging him to stop cussing at his political rallies.
“I think Franklin’s been fantastic,” Trump told the crowd. “And I’m trying, I’m working so hard to adhere to his note to me.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on July 10, 2025.
This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Billy Graham granddaughter blesses out Donald Trump, calls him a ‘megalomaniac’."