Franklin Graham Says He Misspoke about Urging Trump Reelection
Evangelist Franklin Graham says he misspoke during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference when he urged attendees to re-elect President Trump, who is limited to two terms under the U.S. Constitution.
The head of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was speaking last week at CPAC when he began expressing his support for Trump and highlighting his record.
“He loves his country. And I love Donald Trump! Is he perfect? No. But I love that guy – I love him,” Graham told the crowd. “And we’ll only have one chance at this. We’ll never get another president like Donald Trump – never. And that’s why it’s important that we do everything that we can to try to get him re-elected. He stands not only for religious freedom, he stands up for Christians, like no president we’ve ever had.”
Franklin Graham at CPAC: I love Donald Trump. We'll never get another president like Donald Trump. That is why it's important we do everything we can to try to get him re-elected. pic.twitter.com/vJl7JHTYuX
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 26, 2026
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
It was passed by Congress and ratified by the states after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to four terms. Until FDR, no president had sought more than two terms, following the precedent set by George Washington, who declined to run for a third term even though – in the late 1700s – it was not prohibited under the Constitution.
The amendment also prevents a vice president who assumes the presidency and serves more than two years of a term from being elected more than once.
Trump has often said he would enjoy running for a third term, but acknowledged to reporters in 2025 that he cannot. Such comments have even fueled the sale of “Trump 2028” merchandise.
“If you read it, it’s pretty clear,” he said. “I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad.”
Graham, though, later clarified his comments, telling Church Leaders that he had misspoken.
“It was a privilege to speak at CPAC,” Graham said. “Early in my remarks, I made the point that ‘President Trump is not on the ballot, but his policies are.’ As I closed, I meant to say that we need to re-elect President Trump’s policies, but misspoke. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify any confusion.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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Originally published March 30, 2026.
