Evangelical Group Apologizes for Use of Billy Graham Footage in Political Ads

The evangelical organization formerly known as “Evangelicals for Harris,” now “Evangelicals for Evangelicals,” issued a public apology on Tuesday. The group faced backlash after using footage of renowned evangelist Billy Graham in a political advertisement supporting former Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election.

In a statement shared on social media, the group acknowledged that they had failed to obtain permission from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) before including the clip. They noted that the use of Pastor Graham’s footage in their ads was a breach of copyright and did not align with the intentions of the BGEA.

“Leading up to the 2024 election, we used a clip of Pastor Billy Graham in several ads,” a member of the group expressed. “We understand now that we should have sought permission from the BGEA beforehand.” The BGEA had opposed the advertisements, highlighting the unauthorized utilization of Graham’s legacy for political campaigning.

Rev. Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son and the head of the BGEA, criticized this move, alleging that the organization was trying to mislead the public by using his father’s image in connection with political endorsements.

“Our aim was never to infringe on the copyrights of BGEA or to give the impression that my father supported a particular candidate,” the group representative clarified further, adding that they sincerely apologized for any misunderstanding.

This controversy erupted particularly after the group had launched a series of advertisements that targeted Trump, using Graham’s sermons to underline their points.

One ad notably featured Graham discussing his views on forgiveness, which contrasted with Trump’s statements from a 2015 interview about whether he ever sought forgiveness from God. Franklin Graham openly disapproved of these advertisements, labeling them inappropriate.

Franklin Graham later remarked on social media that it was disheartening to see an advertisement exploiting his father’s image. “They’re using whatever they can to promote Harris, misrepresenting my father’s legacy,” he stated.

After facing legal threats from the BGEA in October, the group decided to pull the ads and confirmed they would no longer use Graham’s likeness without explicit permission. They acknowledged that their previous messaging was unclear and emphasized the importance of ensuring respectful Christian dialogue in political discourse.

The BGEA responded positively to the apology, indicating relief at the resolution. “Their apology and Franklin Graham’s original concern convey enough,” a representative from BGEA mentioned.

Furthermore, the evangelicals supporting Harris invested over $1 million on advertisements aimed at religious voters in crucial states, asserting that her policies and character aligned more closely with Christian values than those attributed to Trump.