Franklin Graham: Trump Civil Suit ‘Another Attempt to Tarnish the Former President’

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 28: (AFP-OUT) Franklin Graham (R) talks with President Donald Tr
Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images

Celebrated evangelist Franklin Graham denounced the politicization of the courts Wednesday, insisting that a New York federal jury finding Trump liable for sexual abuse in a civil suit was a politically motivated travesty.

“It is disappointing that our legal system has become so politicized,” Rev. Graham told his 10 million Facebook followers. “The former president is being accused of something 30 years ago, and reports say that his accuser can’t recall the month or the year.”

“This civil trial with a price tag in the millions seems to be nothing more than ANOTHER attempt to tarnish the former president, plant doubts, and destroy his ability to run for office again,” Graham added. “His enemies will stop at nothing. Pray for our nation. We need God’s help.”

On Tuesday, a federal jury in New York City ordered Trump to pay $5 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll, finding him not liable for rape but liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

US magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll departs the Manhattan Federal Court in New York City on May 9, 2023. A New York jury ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump was liable for the sexual abuse of an American former magazine columnist in the mid-1990s, multiple US media reported. The nine jurors decided following a civil trial that the ex-president did not rape E. Jean Carroll, but did find him liable for defaming her, The New York Times, CNN and others reported. Trump was ordered to pay Carroll a total of $5 million in damages, the reports said. (Photo by Ed JONES / AFP) (Photo by ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

E. Jean Carroll departs the Manhattan Federal Court in New York City on May 9, 2023. A New York jury ruled Donald Trump was liable for the sexual abuse of the American former magazine columnist in the mid-1990s. (ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

The former president said he will appeal the ruling, insisting he has “absolutely no idea” who the plaintiff is while slamming the verdict as a “disgrace” and a continuation of “the greatest political witch hunt in history.”

“We’ll appeal. We got treated very badly by the Clinton-appointed judge,” Trump said. “And [Carroll] is a Clinton person, too.”

Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Wednesday that after the jury’s verdict, his “poll numbers went up,” asserting that Carroll’s lawsuit against him was another example of “election interference.”

“My poll numbers went up, and they went up with the other fake charge too,” Trump said. “Because what’s happening is they’re doing this for election interference.”

“This woman, I don’t know her. I never met her. I have no idea who she is,” he said.

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