A letter in which the famous evangelist, now late Rev. Billy Graham told former President Donald Trump he was "amazed" at the billionaire's career will be included in a new book, "Letters to Trump."
The 1991 letter starts out saying that Graham was glad to meet Trump and then-wife Marla Maples at a dinner party.
“For a long time I have wanted to meet you and get to know you,” Graham wrote to Trump. “I have read your books and am absolutely amazed at your career. You could probably give me a great deal of good advice, as I am chairman of the board of several religious organizations.”
The letter states that Graham has pledged not to ask individuals for money to support his ministries and had previously told Ross Perot, another wealthy businessman, the same thing.
“However, I do appreciate your invitation for my wife and me to stay at the Plaza while here,” Graham continued. “I explained to you my longtime association with the Marriott family. Many years ago, Mr. J.W. Marriott, Sr., gave me a 5-star card to be used in all of their hotels. Incidentally, even though he was a Mormon, I preached his funeral at the Mormon Temple in Washington several years ago.”
Graham said that while he was "most certain only personal faith in Christ can bring the peace and joy, and fill the vacuum in so many people’s lives,” he was able to be tolerant of people with different personal beliefs.
The letter ended with Graham saying he hopes to get to know Trump better.
The book containing letters by a number of prominent people from many different walks of life, reached number one on Monday for preorders on Amazon. It releases on Tuesday through the publisher Winning Team Publishing.
“We are thrilled with the sales of Letters to Trump,” Winning Team founder Sergio Gor told Breitbart News. “We are seeing an incredible demand not just in the United States but worldwide. President Donald Trump’s unmatched success continues.”
“Billy Graham was one of a kind. He was a man of character and conviction—somebody we probably will never see again in the sense of what he represented and who he represented,” Trump wrote about Billy Graham in the book.
He continued, “My father considered him the greatest evangelist. I vividly remember going to Yankee Stadium many years ago with my father and the family to watch a Billy Graham Crusade. It was absolutely incredible. The place was packed, and everybody waited breathlessly for the next word to be spoken. Billy Graham was amazing and will always be remembered as probably the greatest of all time at what he did—telling others about God.”
Billy Graham's son Franklin Graham was a strong supporter of Trump during his 2020 presidential campaign, but has not officially endorsed Trump for president in 2024 so far.
Trump's brand was somewhat damaged after he was perceived by some, especially on the left, to have encouraged the Capitol breach on January 6, 2021 and continued to insist that the 2020 election was stolen from him in the absence of any concrete evidence that was true.
Trump is looking to capitalize on his frontrunner status and convert some who have a negative view of him and his brand ahead of the 2024 election.
