Christian Icon Pat Robertson Dead At 93

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Pat Robertson

Pat Robertson, the legendary conservative Christian broadcaster, sadly passed away early this morning. He was 93 years-old.

Robertson Passes Away

The Associated Press reported that Robertson’s death was confirmed by his Christian Broadcasting Network, which did not give a cause of death. Born in 1930 to a U.S. senator, Robertson served in the U.S. Marines during the Korean War, and he ended up being awarded three battle stars for “action against the enemy.”

After his military service, Robertson began a career in broadcasting by launching the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960, according to Politico. On this network, Robertson started hosting “The 700 Club,” which he continued hosting for decades until he retired in October of 2021.

Christian Today honored Robertson upon his retirement by writing, “After decades of offering Christian viewers his commentary on natural disasters, 9/11, AIDS, pot, divorce, diplomacy, plastic surgery, homosexuality, Islam, secular colleges, the end of the world, critical race theory, and a range of other moral issues, Pat Robertson has signed off as host of ‘The 700 Club.’”

Robertson’s Presidential Run

In 1988, Robertson ran for president in the Republican primaries as a political amateur. Much to everyone’s surprise, he finished second in the Iowa caucuses behind Sen. Bob Dole and ahead of Vice President George H.W. Bush, who eventually scored the nomination. Though his campaign faded after that, Robertson ended the race with the third-most votes in the GOP primaries.

In 2021, the historian Scott Culpepper looked back on Robertson’s presidential campaign by saying that it “both demonstrated the continuing political clout of conservative American evangelicals and shaped the future course of conservative evangelical political activism.”

“Lessons learned from the Robertson campaign, possibly from its failures as much or more than its successes, enabled conservative evangelicals to determine critical changes they would need to make if their effective political influence was to continue,” he continued. “Most importantly, Robertson’s campaign cemented the alliance between conservative evangelical activists and the Republican Party.”

Related: Pat Robertson Says ‘We Don’t Have The Finest In The Police Department’ In Response To Minneapolis Cop Shooting

Christian Support For Robertson 

Christians played a huge role in the success of Robertson’s presidential campaign.

“Christians really became mobilized,” William Martin wrote of Robertson’s 1988 campaign in his book “With God On Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America.” “They had a cause now, they had a champion who was speaking to their pain, speaking to their hearts and was willing to speak out loud.”

Though Robertson was a supporter of Donald Trump during his presidency, he turned on him after his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. He went so far as to say that Trump was living in an “alternate reality” and that he should “move on,” according to The Hill.

Full Story: Christian Leader Pat Robertson Turns On Trump: ‘Mistake’ For Trump To Run In 2024, Needs To ‘Move On’

Robertson’s Family Life

Robertson was married to his beloved wife Adelia, who he met during his time at Yale, from 1954 until she passed away in April of 2022, and they had four children together. After her death, Robertson told NBC News that his late wife “was a woman of great faith, a champion of the gospel, and a remarkable servant of Christ who has left an indelible print on all that she set her hand to during her extraordinary life.”

Robertson is survived by his four children, 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. Please join us in saying a prayer for his loved ones during this difficult time.

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