United States: death of televangelist and influential ultra-conservative Pat Robertson

2023-06-08T23:08:52.523Z

Highlights: Televangelist Pat Robertson died Thursday, June 8 at his home in Virginia, at the age of 93. He pioneered the influence of evangelicals on the Republican Party and among ultraconservatives. In the 1990s, with his Christian Coalition of four million activists, the cathodic preacher helped make evangelicals a major political force within the American right. In 2002, he claimed that the September 11 attacks were divine punishment for the immorality of American society and that Muslims were worse than Nazis.

He was one of the fathers of televangelism in the United States: Pat Robertson died Thursday, June 8 at his home in Virginia, at the age of 93. He has been instrumental in making American evangelicals a...

United States: death of televangelist and influential ultra-conservative Pat Robertson

He was one of the fathers of televangelism in the United States: Pat Robertson died Thursday, June 8 at his home in Virginia, at the age of 93. He was instrumental in making American evangelicals a powerful political force in the service of the Republican Party, but Pat Robertson was also a preacher challenged for some of his ultraconservative stances.

Televangelist Pat Robertson pioneered the influence of evangelicals on the Republican Party and among ultraconservatives. Here, during a speech by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Feb. 24, 2016. © Steve Helber / AP

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In 1960, with a handful of dollars, Pat Robertson, a young Christian "born again", son of a U.S. senator, founded CBN. At the time, it was one of the first evangelical channels in the United States. Today, The Christian Brodcasting Network is a vast and lucrative media empire that spreads its ultra-conservative good word in 200 countries and 70 languages, where religion is never far from politics, reports our Miami correspondent, David Thomson.

In the 1990s, with his Christian Coalition of four million activists, according to the New York Times, the cathodic preacher helped make evangelicals a major political force within the American right. His endorsement is sought by all Republican candidates for the White House. This despite the fact that the organization lost half of its members in the 2000s and much of its influence.

But this Yale graduate, a fierce opponent of abortion, was also subscribed to controversies. In 2002, he claimed that the September 11 attacks were divine punishment for the immorality of American society and that Muslims were worse than Nazis.

In 2005, he called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whom he accused of financing al-Qaeda's historic leader, Osama bin Laden.

In 2016, Pat Robertson put his influence at the service of Donald Trump, helping the divorced billionaire win over evangelical voters. He distanced himself from it when the Republican had denied his defeat in the 2020 presidential election against Democrat Joe Biden: "The president still lives in an alternative reality," he said then, advising Donald Trump to "move on".

He had also advised the former president not to run again in 2024, judging that the candidate in the Republican primary and former governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley would make a better candidate.

Televangelist Pat Robertson pioneered the influence of evangelicals on the Republican Party and among ultraconservatives. Here at the Christian coalition conference "Road to Victory 98," Washington, September 18, 1998. © Roberto Borea / AP

>> Read also: United States: religion and politics, the influence of neo-charismatic or Pentecostal evangelicals

United States: death of televangelist and influential ultra-conservative Pat Robertson

United States: death of televangelist and influential ultra-conservative Pat Robertson

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