Former President Donald Trump told crowds in Philadelphia that prominent evangelist Franklin Graham had suggested he stop swearing during his speeches.
Addressing rally supporters at the weekend, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said Graham had written him a letter advising him to avoid “foul language” to make his addresses more impactful.
In a clip shared on X, Trump praised Graham, CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as a “man I like” and admire “so much,” before recalling a letter the evangelist wrote to him:
“He said, ‘President, I love your speaking. Your ability to speak is incredible. Your storytelling is great, but it could be so much better if you didn’t use foul language,'”
Trump went on to say that Graham’s advice was “wrong,” and that while he was working using less course language, he felt it was necessary at times to interject with “bad words” in order to create emphasis.
The former US president noted a recent speech in which he had made an effort not to swear as he addressed Christian political activists in Washington, D.C.
“When I see people start to walk out, we’ll stop ok?” He added, “I’m not going to use the word bull****,” before stating that it was “not that bad a word.”
Some X users have criticised Graham for not addressing other alleged moral failings of the former US president, including adultery and sexual assault.
“Cursing is NOT the biggest problem,” one user wrote, adding “he said he had no need to ask God for forgiveness.”
Others showed support for the evangelist’s comments: “You become a better person when you don’t curse, your vocabulary is better than that. It shows respect for others and God.”
Trump, who is currently on the campagin trail, was convicted last month of falsifying business records, to cover up an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels. On Tuesday a judge modified Trump’s gag order to allow him to speak publicly about the jury and witnesses involved in the hush money trial.
Trump and President Joe Biden are scheduled to go head to head in a televised presidential debate on Thursday.
