Steve Schmidt to Franklin Graham: You're a hypocrite of staggering magnitude. You've sold your soul.

[highplainsdem]

Franklin Graham tweet that earned Schmidt's furious response:

Link to tweet

In watching some of the @DemConvention on TV, it's been interesting to see the absence of God. I don’t believe America’s finest hours will be in front of us if we take God out of gov't & public life. It's God who set the standards we're to live by.

Schmidt's two-tweet response starts here, full text below:

Link to tweet

You are a hypocrite of staggering magnitude. Did you see the face of God when violence was loosed on peacefully protesting Americans people so Trump could walk to St.John’s and hold a bible upside down? Normal people, good people saw the face of god in the resilience and


faith of the Biden family. You are a 21st Century Pharisee and your hypocrisy would offend Christ as it offended him 2000 years ago. You have sold your soul to the most corrupt and vile man to ever attain power in America. That is your faith, political power. @Franklin_Graham

[Siwsan]

1. Sister Simone Campbell gave a lovely invocation

She worded it in a way that incorporated any spiritual and/or belief system.

Maybe Franklin was drinking more of that 'black water' during that segment.

[tblue37]

19. That was Jerry Falwell, Jr. nt

[Siwsan]

45. Sorry - Allergies blocking off oxygen to getting to my brain.

Well, that and the fact that they are all starting to meld into one huge hemorrhoid.

[tblue37]

48. These God bothering grifters all tend to blur together after awhile. nt

[japple]

50. Yes they are morphing into one huge hemorrhoid! The son of Billy is

and always has been a shit stain.

Hoping your allergies get better soon. I've got it too and Zyrtec isn't taking care of it these days, sniff, sniff!

[soldierant]

57. They not only sound alike,

they even look alike. There's not a grain of sand's worth of difference between them.

Come to think of it, has anyone ever seen them together?

[ancianita]

62. I loved it. And I'm an atheist. No one who REALLY watched could have missed the invocations.

Schmidt's right. Publicly pious critics are pharisees.

[XanaDUer2]

79. I saw that it was lovely

Nt

[agingdem]

2. Steve Schmidt made a false assumption

he assumed Franklin Graham had a soul to sell...

[rpannier]

76. My first thought

Can't sell what you don't own

[cilla4progress]

3. Schmidt - a former R - is, admittedly,

one of our most eloquent and vehement spokesmen!

[jaxexpat]

39. Somebody hurt Steve's feelings and democrats reap the reward.

Fickle is fate and no good place to invest hope against. Remove yourself from the blast radius prior to detonation.

[Cha]

53. Actually Putin's Puppet came along & is "hurting" the World.

[lame54]

4. How was this guy ever a republican?

[Progressive Jones]

70. Schmidt is an "Old School" Republican, not one of the flakes who've infested

the GOP.

They are more "libertarian", and more thoughtful in their views that the wackos of today's GOP.
They actually care about the people of this nation.


Steve Schmidt is one of the people behind The Lincoln Project. Republican Trump haters.

Check them out. https://lincolnproject.us/video/america/

[lame54]

72. I can not recall a time when republicans were not assholes

[Progressive Jones]

73. Hey, I didn't say I was in love with them, but they were, at one time,

principled for the most part.

Example : It was Republican House and Senate members who told Nixon to resign, as they were going
to take him down in the impeachment proceedings. Why? For the good of the nation, because Nixon was a crook

Did the GOP do anything like that with Trump? No, they kissed his ass, and let a criminal slide.


The GOP started becoming a full-on scumbag organization when Reagan befouled the WH,
and the evangelical creeps were conned into voting GOP to "Save The Babies".


Today's GOP is literally infested with a new breed. White supremacist trash, Qanon freaks, tea bagger trash, the whole nine yards.
And, it's only going to get worse.

[Skittles]

75. CORRECT

they ALL helped to create this monster, ALL of them

[Roy Rolling]

77. Label Limitations

Two decades ago my home town appointed me to the school board because I had attended public schools and sent three kids through public schools and on to Tulane, MIT, and Loyola. I was non-political, and had both Republican and Democratic friends in high political office.

So I was convinced to change my voter registration to Republican. I didn’t know better, I had no clue of the see my underbelly of Republican operatives.

It took less than six months to learn “these are not my people” and changed my voter registration back. The point is, I made an honest mistake. To look down upon me for it is the exact reason I left Republican circles—they are a closed cult with a hierarchy measured by loyalty to its leaders, not facts or principles.

Schmidt is guided by facts and principles, and refused to surrender them at the door just to be a member of the cult.

[lame54]

81. After failing to give us Palin

[Duncan Grant]

82. I formed my opinion of them during the AIDS crisis.

Unfortunately, they’ve continued to become more evil.

[Progressive Jones]

83. The bottom feeding trash were let in the door. The GOP got greedy, and wanted numbers.

They let in the pseudo-christian hate mongers. That's who has tried to kill off the LGBTQ community.

[Docreed2003]

5. It's always funny to me

How these hypocritical assholes never seem to see "God" unless it is at times that support their political and business interests. Franklin Graham is a fucking joke. He only got into daddy's business when he saw just how much money he could make in Billy's name

[Mariana]

24. Franklin Graham was ordained in 1982.

The Graham family business was plenty lucrative in the old man's day. Billy Graham's net worth was estimated to be $25 million when he died.

[Karadeniz]

6. Bravo! Well said!❤

[Freedomofspeech]

7. He is no Christian...

What a prick.

[Mariana]

25. Only a non-Christians can be a prick like Franklin Graham? nt.

[Freedomofspeech]

34. Of course that's not what I meant.

Sorry if you misunderstood.

[hlthe2b]

9. I've not forgotten Schmidt is a conservative, but IMO, he's more than redeemed himself for his role

in thrusting Palin on us.

Love your oratory and whiplash-inducing comebacks, Steve!

[colorado_ufo]

35. Agree.

And it is possible that Palin sold him a "bill of goods." She was a very quick learner and knows how to manipulate.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

69. No, he's way too smart to ever be fooled by her.

They were on a sure path to election loss and needed a gimmick to shake things up. But they didn’t count on her going rogue.

[Mike Nelson]

10. Yikes!

... poor Rev Graham... Biden's faith was referenced explicitly (Catholic) and the opening prayer was sweet. "Our Creator" was obvious. Graham is dishonest - he couldn't have watched the convention... so embarrassing... He should have checked with one of his staff before making outrageous statements.

[msongs]

11. "in jesus name we pray" pledge allegiance to god. isnt that enuff religion for ya? nt

[forgotmylogin]

13. I'd like to direct your attention to a wall that isn't referenced so often...

See the church, right here? And see the state over there on the other side? There's a reason this wall was built.

It's no problem for individual politicians to reference personal faith as part of their entirety, but to complain "there's not enough religion in (these people's) politics" is like saying "there's not enough beef gravy in this pool we're swimming in". Pool water and gravy are both great, but please let's not mix them extensively.

[catbyte]

12. ...

[deurbano]

40. That's basically it. I'm not a believer, but the monster haunting the WH, with all his

slavish support from evangelical leaders, almost makes me believe in the Anti-Christ.

[Blue_true]

47. I gave up on Christianity in my early teens, when it became clear that it

was all bullshit. But I have always deferred to people that expressed their faith, not wanting to offend. Now, I don’t care, if a Traumpanze gets in my face talking about their faith, I am going to ask them how can that be given that they support a worldly demon - I just no longer care about their feelings, they don’t care about anyone else’s but a select few of their flock.

[LuvNewcastle]

41. That's what it's all about.

They latch on to any old disgusting self-promoter who can give them political and physical power. They don't know the first thing about spiritual power, and they care even less.

[ashredux]

14. But Steve, what do you really think?

No one does it better than Steve Schmidt

[gulliver]

15. Billy Graham's son supports Jerry Falwell's son too.

These two guys have split Evangelicals. They are now Evangelical Christians and Trumpist Christians. Call them what they are.

[Mariana]

27. They are all still Evangelicals.

The ones who choose to support Trump didn't just magically become something else.

[gulliver]

29. EINOs unfortunately

Read the definition of the term Evangelical. Following Trump is also anti-Christian, so I'm using the term "Trumpist Christian" to accurately describe them. His Trump Church is the church they find themselves in now, unfortunately. He led them astray. They need to be known by the identity they have accepted.

[Blue_true]

49. Sorry. You are outnumbered by what you call Trump Christians, something like

80% to 20%. And I don’t think that people like you are ever going to regain control of how evangelicals are being presented to everyone else. When I look at evangelicals, I see basically intolerant, selfish, afraid people, I have seen nothing good about them that I would hang my hat on.

[Scarsdale]

16. Graham did not "have a calling" to

religion. He just went into the family "bidness" for the $$$$. He is such a clown, he claims that "Melania Trump is the classiest First Lady we have ever had". Yeah, Frankie. Selling yourself for an hour or a night is SO classy. Having naked photos of yourself plastered all over the internet is CLASSY. Costing US taxpayers millions for protection living in NY, refusing to go to DC until he ponied up a bigger settlement when they divorce - CLASSY. He would not know "class" if it ran up and bit him. Fake preacher..

[True Blue American]

26. Franklin and Billy did not agree.

Billy would be ashamed of his Son..

[lonely bird]

58. Billy should have told his son to do something else

Grifters gotta grift.

[pwb]

17. I like Scmidt.

He recognizes bullshit when he hears it. He is a good voice to hear. Hope he joins us eventually but if he doesn't he could change the direction of the Right.

[Drahthaardogs]

18. Saccades is more in line with the evangelical crowd

But who am I to equivocate?

[bringthePaine]

20. pretty sure Graham's middle name is Charlatan...

[JDC]

21. Schmidt goes right at them. Gotta hand it to him

[SergeStorms]

22. I look forward to the day...

when god and other superstition is kept completely out of politics, and we can have a secular humanist as president. It won't happen in my lifetime, I know that.

[Blue_true]

51. That will never happen and has never happened in human history.

If you read about civilizations through the ages, all have believed in and worshiped an unseen power, that is in line with people’s fundamental need to believe in something higher than them that is protecting them. Brutal despots throughout history have taken advantage of that need to bring forth a lot of death and destruction. Trump is just a modern, clumsy version of brutal and vile men that have reigned throughout history, and evangelical “faith leaders” are his henchmen and henchwomen, as have been other types of “faith leaders” throughout history, and those people have used murder and rape to enforce their desire for domination.

[ancianita]

63. It had better. I'm sick of living in an 18th Century revivalist climate with fear driven

belief systems that give cover to their drives to dominate along with all the white supremacist Nazis they ride with.

They love to think that they and the Eastern Orthodox church of Putin's revival would coexist well. The Eastern Orthodox church of Russia and Serbia would never suffer them.

Believer politics and war are the bane of the planet.

[SergeStorms]

68. Right there...

"Brutal despots throughout history have taken advantage of that need to bring forth a lot of death and destruction."

Maybe it's time people stopped believing in the angry daddy in the sky that's not listening to them. Then maybe "brutal depots" wouldn't be able to use that imaginary crutch to beat people over the head with? Maybe if critical thinking overcame superstition brutal despots would be a thing of the past? Just a thought.

[misanthrope]

71. Politicians and preachers

are about the only professions where all you have to do is call yourself one to be so.

[LAS14]

23. Who is Steve Schmidt??? nt

[Blue_true]

55. The 2008 John McCain for President campaign manager.

He started to back away from the Republican Party when it started embracing birtgerism and Islamaphobia.

If you have not seen the movie “Gamechange” about the chaos Palin caused in the McCain campaign, do download it, the movie is great. Steve Schmidt is played by Woody Harrelson and Nicole Wallace is played by an actor whose name I can’t grasp at the moment. Nicole Wallace managed Palin’s part of the campaign until she could not take the chaos any longer.

[LAS14]

60. Wo! Thanks for the tip. No, I haven't seen it. Will do. nt

[Crunchy Frog]

56. If you really don't know, try googling.

[Roc2020]

28. About time. I have been waiting

for someone of significance credible significance to call him out. Billy Graham would be appalled by his son so loyal embrace of Trump

[Kingofalldems]

30. Hick fundies claim Catholics aren't Christians.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

74. Billy Graham was anti-Catholic.

He told everyone during the Presidential campaign of 1960 that if John F. Kennedy was elected, the Pope would be running the country. Spoiler alert: It didn't happen.

The Southern Baptist Convention also questioned Kennedy and generally made fools of themselves. Kennedy understood separation of church and state; they didn't.

[kacekwl]

31. What I saw was a little more God than I prefered. What I see

when I look at you and trump is utter lack of God and a lot of evil.

[mnhtnbb]

32. Franklin Graham needs white males waving

their dicks around to subjugate women in order to see God.

His God is all about white patriarchy.

[Pacifist Patriot]

33. Graham is so full of shit on this.

I'm a non-theist and tend to notice immediately when politicians engage in God-talk. There was a lot of it during the DNC Convention. It doesn't bother me, just saying I notice, and it was most definitely present.

[left-of-center2012]

36. I read this about Franklin Graham some years ago ...

Before his dad, Billy Graham, died,
his dad had chosen the spot where he wanted to be buried.

But ignoring his dad's wishes,
Franklin had him buried where tourist would see the grave site.

It was about drawing in the crowds,
and the dollars.

[SergeStorms]

38. And they probably have a Xtian gift shop...

before you can exit that shrine to false piety, I'm sure.

[essme]

65. You are correct actually

Bully Graham library in Charlotte, NC

[greblach]

37. Hear Hear

Hope I got that right, what a hypocrite...

[vlyons]

42. Sepration of church and state

Graham is not just a hypocrite, but also an asshole. I'll bet he has never read Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason." We don't need no self-righteous, holier-than-thou judgemental Christian Taliban enforcing their religious bigotry.

[DinahMoeHum]

43. "21st Century Pharisee". . .damn right!

Thank you, Mr. Schmidt.

[grobertj]

44. Franklin's father would be ashamed of him!

Just because you call yourself a Christian doesn't make you one!

[hibbing]

46. They all are n/t

[Cha]

52. TY Steve Schmidt! i hate these FAKE purveyors of "god" &

JC. They're some of the worst damn snake oilers in the World.

Rt! Mahalo, hpd!

[Beartracks]

54. Peppering your words with "Jesus" and "God" does not demonstrate Godliness.

Schmidt is right in that it is in someone's actions that you "see the face of God."

===========

[scarletwoman]

59. I don't get what the hell Franklin Graham is talking about, anyway. There was god & religion

all over the place during the 4 nights of the Convention.

Opening and closing prayers every night, including from 4 different clerics on the final night.

Lots of "God Bless" this and "God Bless" that, throughout many of the speeches, night after night.

And, as Steve Schmidt pointed out, the event was filled with references to Biden's religious faith.

I don't get how anyone could claim there was an "absence of God."

Myself, as a non-believer, found all the "God" stuff a bit tiresome, to be honest. However, I understand it's pretty much a requirement in U.S. politics, unfortunately.

That it still wasn't enough for that fake Xtian asshole, is just absurd.

[TeamPooka]

61. Franklin Graham worships money. That's his god.

[Marcuse]

64. He and his imps are always referring to Trump as the victim.

[Takket]

66. i think every single person who spoke called Biden a "man of faith"

[niyad]

67. Hey, frankie, you disgusting grifter. We are a SECULAR nation, NOT a theocracy

(not yet, anyway, although you zealots are trying). I would prefer not to see the face of your sick and twisted deity anywhere, the sociopath.

Funny, I seem to remember several religious types giving invocations during the convention. You must have been at a white supremacy meeting or something.

[Owl]

78. Thank you Steve! Very well said.

[blue-wave]

80. Damn!!

What a great response!! That's smokin'!!