‘The guy does not eat well’: Evangelical Franklin Graham turns on Trump and says he’s too unhealthy for 2024 run
Donald Trump could be ‘too unhealthy’ to run for president again, his long-time supporter Franklin Graham has claimed
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Influential evangelical leader and Donald Trump supporter Franklin Graham has suggested that the former president could be too out of shape to run for election again.
In 2019, Mr Trump’s physical official declared him clinically obese at 243lbs.
Mr Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and one of the former president’s earliest backers, told Axios on HBO that Mr Trump “does not eat well” and that his political ambitions might be thwarted by his “health”.
Mr Graham told the show: “I think for him, everything will depend on his health at that time. If he still has energy and strength like he does. I don’t.”
He added: “The guy does not eat well, you know, and it’s amazing the energy that he has.”
However, Mr Graham also conceded that he believed Mr Trump had lost weight. “He’s lost weight, 15 pounds, maybe”, he said.
“So he might be in good health and in good shape. I don’t know.”
In 2024 Mr Trump would be 78, the same age that Joe Biden is now. President Biden would be 82 years old.
Mr Trump has been teasing a potential run for the Republican nomination again but has not yet made anything official.
It was revealed this week that he could be planning to host his first public rallies since the 6 January insurrection, which left five people dead, including one US Capitol officer.
Mr Trump’s health has been a source of speculation for years.
He is known to be a fast food fan and is believed to take no other exercise than a round on the golf course. He suffers from high cholesterol, for which he takes a statin.
Last year he was hospitalised with Covid-19 and received multiple experimental treatments.
Due to years of misinformation and contradictory statements, it remains impossible to assess the reality of his current health.
In 2015 doctor Harold Bornstein famously said that “If elected, Mr Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency” and that Trump’s “physical strength and stamina are extraordinary”, and his bloodwork was “astonishingly excellent”.
Nearly three years later Bornstein admitted that Trump had dictated the note himself.
In 2018 a doctor reported that he weighed 239lb during his annual medical exam, making him nearly medically obese.
The doctor also claimed that Mr Trump was 6ft3inches, an inch taller than on his driving licence.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments