In an inspiring post on X, faith leader Franklin Graham urged Americans to pray for President Trump as he heads to the Middle East to meet with prominent political figures and strengthen relationships with allies, with Graham calling for prayers for God to protect the president on his journey.
For context, President Trump reportedly departed for the Middle East on May 12, 2025, with the intention of meeting with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates and advancing economic cooperation with these three countries. According to press accounts, the president landed safely in Saudi Arabia on May 13.
According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, President Trump’s trip to the Middle East is focused on “his continued vision for a proud, prosperous, and successful Middle East where the United States and Middle Eastern nations are in cooperative relationships and where extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges.”
In addition, Leavitt explained that the trip is evidence that the U.S. stands “on the brink of the golden age for both America and the Middle East, united by a shared vision of stability, opportunity and mutual respect.” She added, “The president greatly looks forward to visiting with our brave men and women in uniform at our U.S. air base in Qatar throughout this trip.”
On the day of the president’s departure for the Middle East, Franklin Grhaam wrote a post on X that encouraged Americans to “pray for President @realDonaldTrump as he travels to the Middle East for meetings,” adding, “There will be much pressure put on him relating to Israel, Gaza, and the Palestinians. Pray for God’s protection, and may God give him wisdom.”
In the past, Graham has been an ardent supporter of President Trump’s decision to cut funding for USAID, telling TIME Magazine, “No, it doesn’t concern me,” referring to the reduced federal funding given to USAID based on alleged wasteful spending. Graham added, “If anything, I think it is good, because there has never really been a review of the policies and the procedures and expenditures. To take a pause and to shake things up and hold people accountable, I think, is very good.”
In addition, Graham, who is the head of the Christian nonprofit organization Samaritan’s Purse, told TIME that he believes that federal aid should be more focused on necessities, not woke causes, saying, “I think the biggest things that we should be focusing on are food and medicine.” He added, “USAID got off that and got into some crazy things. It wasn’t saving widows and orphans and providing health care. I don’t think USAID should be done away with. I just think it needs to take a pause, reevaluate its priorities, and then go back to funding those priorities.”
Furthermore, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, President Trump reportedly praised the Middle East at large in a Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum speech, saying, “Before our eyes, a new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts and tired divisions of the past, and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos; where it exports technology, not terrorism; and where people of different nations, religions, and creeds are building cities together, not bombing each other. ”
Featured image credit: Franklin Graham via X