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Karl Rove Recalls Billy Graham's Impact After 9/11 Attacks

Karl Rove Recalls Billy Graham's Impact After 9/11 Attacks
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By    |   Wednesday, 21 February 2018 01:50 PM EST

On Sept. 14, 2001, three days after the 9/11 attacks, there was only one civilian plane in the skies over the United States, Republican strategist Karl Rove said Wednesday — and that was the one carrying the Rev. Billy Graham to speak at services at Washington D.C.'s National Cathedral.

"Two of my deputies were in charge of the service at the National Cathedral, and they suggested that Billy Graham be asked to participate," recalled Rove on Fox News' "America's Newsroom," talking about his memories of the evangelist, who died early Wednesday morning.

"He readily agreed," Rove continued. "The difficulty was that we had to get him to Washington D.C. On the morning of that service, one civilian aircraft was in the skies above the United States."

Rove, who was deputy Chief of Staff under then-President George W. Bush, said one of his aides were on an open line, listening communications making sure that Graham's aircraft would not be impeded its trip to Washington.

"One aircraft, civilian aircraft, is in the skies above the United States, and it bears Billy Graham," said Rove.

"Nobody who saw him preach that day in the National Cathedral can forget the sense of comfort that he was giving an entire nation that was deeply grieving and with many fearful," said Rove.

He noted he had met "America's pastor an event at the Texas state capitol, after Bush had been inaugurated as governor in 1995.

"Billy Graham had played an important role in bringing him to Christ," said Rove, and he presided over Bush's inauguration.

"My job was to meet Graham in his room and convey him through the back halls of the back elevators of the hotel to this ballroom so we got to spend a few moments together," said Rove. "I have only twice in my life felt like I was in the presence of, when I was with a human being, that I felt I was in the presence of the eternal. Billy Graham was the first time and there was something about the man. He was gentle, he was kind, but there was something seriously about this man that gave off the sense of godliness and service."

The other person to have such an impact? Pope John Paul, who Rove met twice while at the White House.

"You could sense these were men of God," said Rove. "These were people who were deeply, the spirit of our Lord."

Sandy Fitzgerald

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

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Politics
On Sept. 14, 2001, three days after the 9/11 attacks, there was only one civilian plane in the skies over the United States, Republican strategist Karl Rove said Wednesday - and that was the one carrying the Rev. Billy Graham to speak at services at Washington D.C.'s...
karl rove, billy graham, 911, evangelist
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2018-50-21
Wednesday, 21 February 2018 01:50 PM
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