Franklin Graham Berated By White House After Making Birther Comments

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House struck back at Christian evangelical leader Franklin Graham on Monday for suggesting that President Barack Obama might not have been born in the United States.

Graham, the son of evangelical leader Billy Graham -- a long-time counselor to Republican and Democratic presidents -- said on ABC television that Obama "had some issues to deal with" in proving that he was born in Hawaii -- echoing claims from the so-called "birther" movement that have been debunked.

"I was born in a hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, and I know that my records are there. You can probably even go and find out what room my mother was in when I was born. I don't know why he can't produce that," Graham said in remarks broadcast on Sunday.

He also seemed to question Obama's religious convictions.

"Now, he has told me that he is a Christian. But the debate comes, what is a Christian?" Graham said of the president.

"For him, going to church means he's a Christian. For me, the definition of a Christian is whether we have given our life to Christ and are following him in faith and we have trusted him as our lord and savior."

The White House, which has had to deny false claims repeatedly that Obama was not born in the United States, dismissed Graham's comments.

"I think it's unfortunate that a religious leader would choose Easter Sunday to make preposterous charges," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.

Real estate tycoon Donald Trump, who is flirting with running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, has also gained traction with his foray into "birther" politics, the idea some conservatives hold that Obama was born in Kenya instead of Hawaii and so cannot legally hold the presidency.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; Editing by Philip Barbara)

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[ztck5356]

05:47 PM on 05/01/2011

So Franklin questions the Christianity of President Obama? Well, I question the Christianity of Franklin Graham. He just threw his support to Donald Trump, a man who while married to his first wife, had and affair with the woman who became his second wife, and now he is married to yet his THIRD WIFE! These comments have exposed Franklin for the hypocrite his is, and people who contribute to his charity should realize this. At least, now the world knows that he is a fake. What kind of Christian does this make Franklin Graham? A hypocritical one for sure.

[mariclau]

10:24 AM on 05/01/2011

What would comedians do without these guys?

[JessWonderin]

06:52 PM on 04/29/2011

Franklin is not nearly the classy charalatan his daddy was ...... Guess "preaching" is not like the the Trump Fortune that can be willed on and survive a so-so carnival talker take over....

[Allyatx]

06:07 PM on 04/29/2011

Media, please...please...stop giving people like this a platform.

Stop the cannon fodder, lets get down to fixing this broken, racist, in debt, homeless country.

[TruthHurtsHuh]

05:52 PM on 04/29/2011

Obama should be berating the guy who faked his bc for doing such a lousy job.

[JessWonderin]

06:43 PM on 04/29/2011

Give it a break .... You. Are making a fool of yourself .... In public

[TruthHurtsHuh]

07:13 PM on 04/29/2011

Um...You are aware that what obama has released has been proven to be an altered document, right? There's not even any question, it's a fact.

[Deep Thinking Man]

05:46 PM on 04/29/2011

Franklin...you define christian...yet you do not act as one ???...typical christian !!!!!

[MacDawg]

05:29 PM on 04/29/2011

More and more these crazy Rev, Priest, Pastors, etc etc come out. They seem more and more like they are working for the devil.

[Joel Smithis]

04:42 PM on 04/29/2011

So if a leader of moral "majority" willingly dips into mud, what you can say about that "majority"?

[okiedemocrat]

04:38 PM on 04/29/2011

Graham is sore that he isn't in Obama's inner circle. His daddy was also "of counsel" to presidents. Graham, like Huckleberry, needs to get right with God. They have both strayed from their callings and He isn't happy.

[Joel Smithis]

04:49 PM on 04/29/2011

I wouldn't let him counsel my dog, let alone any human being.

This guy is a toast in eternal fire!

[Joel Smithis]

04:36 PM on 04/29/2011

Franklin, I know Christians, you are not a Christian!

[FoxIslander]

03:26 PM on 04/29/2011

...so Franklin Graham is a good Christian? ...must be one of the many reasons why I'm an atheist.

[Pat Barsalou]

03:05 PM on 04/29/2011

Franklin is a CHINO. Christian in name only.

[MaryK2924]

02:09 PM on 04/29/2011

Obviously, just because you "claim" to be a man of God, doesn't mean you can't have a problem with race. The good reverend will have to come up with something else. It's a shame really, God is color-blind, too bad many of his followers are not.

[trubador1]

02:03 PM on 04/29/2011

Thanks for your two cents worth, Franklin. Do you give refunds?

[kuulguy]

01:45 PM on 04/29/2011

Pastor forgot and also treating others you like to be treated.............These people are giving Christianity a bad name (Separation of Church and State babe..)

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Matthew 7:1-2
1Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

I appalled that he calls himself a man of God and yet he has not idea what God require of us.