Pat Robertson Family Does Pat Robertson have a family? a prominent political family, Who in his family is involved in politics? Absalom Willis Robertson (1887-1971), a conservative Democratic United States Senator, Is Robertson married? They were married on August 26, 1954, and they were both on the path of economic success. Does Robertson have any children? His family includes four children, among them Gordon P. Robertson and Tim Robertson Are there any other interesting aspects about this article? At a young age, Robertson was nicknamed Pat by his six-year-old brother, Willis Robertson, Jr., who enjoyed patting him on the cheeks when he was a baby Is there anything that I should know about Robertson's childhood? the youngest of two sons.
What did Pat Robertson's wife do for a living?
What did Pat Robertson's wife do for a living?
Marion Gordon Robertson was born on March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, into a prominent political family, the youngest of two sons. His parents were Absalom Willis Robertson (1887-1971), a conservative Democratic United States Senator, and his wife Gladys Churchill (nee Willis; 1897-1968), was a housewife and a musician. He met Adelia "Dede" Elmer (born December 3, 1927 in Columbus, Ohio), a fashion model and beauty queen in the Miss Ohio State contest, who was studying for her masters in Nursing at Yale University. She was also a nursing student at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. They were married on August 26, 1954, and they were both on the path of economic success. His family includes four children, among them Gordon P. Robertson and Tim Robertson and, as of mid-2016, 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.  At a young age, Robertson was nicknamed Pat by his six-year-old brother, Willis Robertson, Jr., who enjoyed patting him on the cheeks when he was a baby while saying "pat, pat, pat". As he got older, Robertson thought about which first name he would like people to use. He considered "Marion" to be effeminate, and "M. Gordon" to be affected, so he opted for his childhood nickname "Pat". His strong awareness for the importance of names in the creation of a public image showed itself again during his presidential run when he threatened to sue NBC news for calling him a "television evangelist", which later became "televangelist", at a time when Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker were objects of scandal.  On April 2, 2015, fellow televangelist, Robert H. Schuller died after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer. Robertson released a statement through CBN News.com: "I am saddened by the passing of my dear friend, Robert Schuller, the Founding Pastor of Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. Robert Schuller set the dimensions for Twentieth Century Christian positive thinking and optimistic action. He is now with the Lord in Heaven, but his legacy on earth will long remain."  In August 2017, Robertson was hospitalized after sustaining minor injuries from a horseback riding incident.  On February 21, 2018, another fellow televangelist, Billy Graham died of complications of Parkinson's disease. Robertson released a statement through CBN News.com: "I join with millions of my fellow Christians in mourning the passing of Billy Graham. Without question, Billy was the preeminent voice of evangelical Christianity in America--an advisor to Presidents, and a spiritual guide to the multitudes who attended his crusades all over the world." He then added: "Billy has been a dear friend of mine personally and I will miss him. He is now with our heavenly Father, well and happy, and joined forever with his dear wife, Ruth. I extend my profound sympathy to Franklin, to Anne Graham Lotz, and to Billy's other children who are continuing his legacy throughout the world." CANNOTANSWER
She was also a nursing student at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American media mogul, televangelist, political commentator, former Republican presidential candidate, and former Southern Baptist minister. Robertson advocates a conservative Christian ideology and is known for his past activities in Republican party politics. He is associated with the Charismatic Movement within Protestant evangelicalism. He serves as chancellor and CEO of Regent University and chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). Until 2021 he appeared daily on The 700 Club, CBN's flagship television program.

On Robertson's own account, he was not a serious Christian until he underwent personal difficulty. He graduated near the top of his class at Yale Law School in 1955, but failed the New York bar exam. Failing the bar cost Robertson opportunities at post-graduate employment, and in the ensuing months of what he later described as disappointment, embarrassment, and unemployment, he became a born-again Christian and began a career as a minister.

Spanning over five decades, Robertson has had a career as the founder of several major organizations and corporations as well as a university: The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the International Family Entertainment Inc. (ABC Family Channel), Regent University, the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), the Founders Inn and Conference Center, the Christian Coalition, an L-1011 Flying Hospital, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, and CBN Asia. He is a best-selling author and the host of The 700 Club, a Christian News and TV program broadcast live weekdays on Freeform (formerly ABC Family) via satellite from CBN studios, as well as on channels throughout the United States, and on CBN network affiliates worldwide. Robertson announced his retirement at the age of 91 from the 700 Club in October 2021, on the sixtieth anniversary of the first telecast on October 1, 1961 of what eventually became CBN.

The son of U.S. Senator A. Willis Robertson, Robertson was a Southern Baptist and was active as an ordained minister with that denomination for many years, but holds to a charismatic theology not traditionally common among Southern Baptists. He unsuccessfully campaigned to become the Republican Party's nominee in the 1988 presidential election. As a result of his seeking political office, he no longer serves in an official role for any church, but continued  as the main host for his series, The 700 Club until October 2021, advocating for religion to this day. His personal influence on media and financial resources make him a recognized, influential, and controversial public voice for conservative Christianity in the United States and around the world.

Life and career

Family
Marion Gordon Robertson was born on March 22, 1930, in Lexington, Virginia, into a prominent political family, the younger of two sons. His parents were Absalom Willis Robertson (1887–1971), a conservative Democratic Senator, and his wife Gladys Churchill (née Willis; 1897–1968), was a housewife and a musician. He met Adelia "Dede" Elmer (born December 3, 1927, in Columbus, Ohio), a fashion model and beauty queen in the Miss Ohio State contest, who was studying for her masters in Nursing at Yale University. She was also a nursing student at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. They were married on August 26, 1954. His family includes four children, among them Gordon P. Robertson and Tim Robertson and, as of mid-2016, 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

At a young age, Robertson was nicknamed Pat by his six-year-old brother, Willis Robertson, Jr., who enjoyed patting him on the cheeks when he was a baby while saying "pat, pat, pat". As he got older, Robertson thought about which first name he would like people to use. He considered "Marion" to be effeminate, and "M. Gordon" to be affected, so he opted for his childhood nickname "Pat". His strong awareness for the importance of names in the creation of a public image showed itself again during his presidential run when he threatened to sue NBC news for calling him a "television evangelist", which later became "televangelist", at a time when Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker were objects of scandal.

Education and military service
When he was eleven, Robertson was enrolled in the preparatory McDonogh School outside Baltimore, Maryland. From 1940 until 1946 he attended The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he graduated with honors. He gained admission to Washington and Lee University, where he received a B.A. in History, graduating magna cum laude. He joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Robertson has said, "Although I worked hard at my studies, my real major centered around lovely young ladies who attended the nearby girls schools."

In 1948, the draft was reinstated and Robertson was given the option of joining the Marine Corps or being drafted into the Army; he opted for the first.

Robertson has described his military service as follows: "We did long, grueling marches to toughen the men, plus refresher training in firearms and bayonet combat." In the same year, he transferred to Korea, "I ended up at the headquarters command of the First Marine Division," says Robertson. "The Division was in combat in the hot and dusty, then bitterly cold portion of North Korea just above the 38th Parallel later identified as the 'Punchbowl' and 'Heartbreak Ridge.' For that service in the Korean War, the Marine Corps awarded me three battle stars for 'action against the enemy.'"

Parts of Robertson's description of his service were later proven to be false. Former Republican Congressman Paul "Pete" McCloskey, Jr., who served with Robertson in Korea, wrote a public letter that said that Robertson was actually spared combat duty when his powerful father, a U.S. Senator, intervened on his behalf, and that Robertson spent most of his time in an office in Japan. According to McCloskey, his time in the service was not in combat, but as the "liquor officer" responsible for keeping the officers' clubs supplied with alcohol. Robertson filed a $35 million libel suit against McCloskey in 1986. He dropped the case in 1988, before it came to trial and paid McCloskey's court costs. According to a newspaper report from 1986, Robertson confirmed elements of McCloskey's allegations and said that he never saw front-line duty.

Robertson was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1952 upon his return to the United States. He then went on to receive a law degree from Yale Law School in 1955, near the top of his class. However, he failed his first and only attempt at the New York bar exam necessary for admission to the New York State Bar Association. Shortly thereafter he underwent a religious conversion, and decided against pursuing a career in law. Instead, Robertson attended The Biblical Seminary in New York, where he received a Master of Divinity degree in 1959.

Christian broadcasting and higher education career

In 1956, Robertson met Dutch missionary Cornelius Vanderbreggen, who impressed Robertson both by his lifestyle and his message. Vanderbreggen quoted Proverbs (3:5, 6), "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths", which Robertson considers to be the "guiding principle" of his life. He was ordained as a minister of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1961.

In 1960, Robertson established the Christian Broadcasting Network in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He started it by buying the license of a defunct UHF station in nearby Portsmouth. The station first went on the air as WYAH-TV on October 1, 1961. Later in 1977 he purchased a local Leased access cable TV channel in the Hampton Roads area and called it CBN. Originally he went door-to-door in Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads, and other surrounding areas asking Christians to buy cable boxes so that they could receive his new channel. He also canvassed local churches in the Virginia Beach area to do the same, and solicited donations through public speaking engagements at local churches and on CBN. One of his friends, John Giminez, the pastor of Rock Church Virginia Beach, was influential in helping Robertson establish CBN with donations, as well as offering the services of volunteers from his church.

CBN is now seen in 180 countries and broadcast in 71 languages. He founded the CBN Cable Network, which was renamed the CBN Family Channel in 1988 and later simply the Family Channel. When the Family Channel became too profitable for Robertson to keep it under the CBN umbrella without endangering CBN's non-profit status, he formed International Family Entertainment Inc. in 1990 with the Family Channel as its main subsidiary. Robertson sold the Family Channel to the News Corporation in 1997, which renamed it Fox Family. A condition of the sale was that the station would continue airing Robertson's television program, The 700 Club, twice a day in perpetuity, regardless of any changes of ownership. The channel is now owned by Disney and run as Freeform. On December 3, 2007, Robertson resigned as chief executive of CBN; he was succeeded by his son, Gordon.

Robertson founded CBN University in 1977 on CBN's Virginia Beach campus. It was renamed Regent University in 1989. Robertson serves as its chancellor. He is also founder and president of the American Center for Law & Justice, a major public interest law firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. and associated with Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, that defends Constitutional freedoms and conservative Christian ideals. Occasional critics have characterized Robertson as an advocate of dominionism; the idea that Christians have a right to rule.

In 1994, he was an endorser of the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together.

1988 presidential bid

In September 1986, Robertson announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States. Robertson said he would pursue the nomination only if three million people signed up to volunteer for his campaign by September 1987. Three million responded, and by the time Robertson announced he would be running in September 1987, he also had raised millions of dollars for his campaign fund. He surrendered his ministerial credentials and turned leadership of CBN over to his son, Tim. His campaign, however, against incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush, was seen as a long shot.

Robertson ran on a standard conservative platform. Among his policies, he wanted to ban pornography, reform the education system, and eliminate departments such as the Department of Education and the Department of Energy. He also supported a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget.

Robertson's campaign got off to a strong second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Bush. He did poorly in the subsequent New Hampshire primary, however, and was unable to be competitive once the multiple-state primaries began. Robertson ended his campaign before the primaries were finished. His best finish was in Washington, winning the majority of caucus delegates. He later spoke at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans and told his remaining supporters to cast their votes for Bush, who ended up winning the nomination and the election. He then returned to CBN and has remained there as a religious broadcaster.

Books

Robertson's book The New World Order (1991) became a New York Times best seller, among his several works. Episcopalian professor of theology Ephraim Radner's critical review:

Business interests
Robertson is the founder and chairman of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Inc., and founder of International Family Entertainment Inc., Regent University, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation, American Center for Law and Justice, The Flying Hospital, Inc. and several other organizations and broadcast entities. Robertson was the founder and co-chairman of International Family Entertainment Inc. (IFE).

Formed in 1990, IFE produced and distributed family entertainment and information programming worldwide. IFE's principal business was The Family Channel, a satellite delivered cable-television network with 63 million U.S. subscribers. IFE, a publicly held company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, was sold in 1997 to Fox Kids Worldwide, Inc. for $1.9 billion, whereupon it was renamed Fox Family Channel. Disney acquired FFC in 2001 and its name was changed again, to ABC Family. The network was renamed to Freeform on January 12, 2016, though Robertson's sale of the channel continues to require Freeform to carry four hours of CBN/700 Club programming per weekday, along with CBN's yearly telethon.

Robertson is a global businessman with media holdings in Asia, the United Kingdom, and Africa. He struck a deal with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based General Nutrition Center to produce and market a weight-loss shake he created and promoted on The 700 Club.

In 1999, Robertson entered into a joint venture with the Bank of Scotland to provide financial services in the United States. However, the move was met with criticism in the UK due to Robertson's views on homosexuality. Robertson commented that "In Europe, the big word is tolerance. You tolerate everything. Homosexuals are riding high in the media ... And in Scotland, you can't believe how strong the homosexuals are." Shortly afterward, the Bank of Scotland canceled the venture.

Robertson's extensive business interests have earned him a net worth estimated between $200 million and $1 billion.

In 1994, in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, Robertson solicited donations for his charity organization Operation Blessing International to provide medical supplies to refugees in neighboring Zaire (present-day Congo), where  Robertson had allegedly negotiated a diamond-mining contract with Zairian dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. According to two Operation Blessing pilots who reported the incident to the state of Virginia for investigation, rather than delivering relief supplies to refugees, the organization's planes were primarily used to haul diamond-mining equipment to Robertson's mines in Zaire.

According to a June 2, 1999 article in The Virginian-Pilot, Robertson had extensive business dealings with Liberian president Charles Taylor, with whom Robertson negotiated a multimillion-dollar contract for gold mining operations in Liberia. In response to Taylor's alleged crimes against humanity, the United States Congress passed a bill in November 2003 that offered two million dollars for his capture. Robertson accused President George W. Bush of "undermining a Christian, Baptist president to bring in Muslim rebels to take over the country." At the time Taylor was harboring Al Qaeda operatives who were funding their operations through the illegal diamond trade. On February 4, 2010, at his war crimes trial in the Hague, Taylor testified that Robertson was his main political ally in the U.S., and that he had volunteered to make Liberia's case before U.S. administration officials in exchange for concessions to Robertson's Freedom Gold, Ltd., to which Taylor gave a contract to mine gold in southeast Liberia. In 2010, a spokesman for Robertson said that the company's arrangements—in which the Liberian government got a 10 percent equity interest in the company and Liberians could purchase at least 15 percent of the shares after the exploration period—were similar to many American companies doing business in Africa at the time.

Tega Farm
Beginning in the latter part of the 1990s, Rev. Pat Robertson raced thoroughbred horses under the nom de course, Tega Farm. His gelding named Tappat won the 1999 Walter Haight Handicap at Laurel Park and the 2000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Handicap at Penn National Race Course. Following this success, Robertson paid $520,000 for a colt he named Mr. Pat. Trained by John Kimmel, Mr. Pat was not a successful runner. He was nominated for, but did not run in, the 2000 Kentucky Derby.

Health
On August 11, 2017, Robertson was hospitalized after sustaining minor injuries in a fall from a horseback riding incident.

On February 2, 2018, Robertson suffered an embolic stroke at his home in Virginia Beach around 12 noon local time. A member of his family noticed his symptoms and alerted emergency medical personnel. He was then taken to the nearest stroke center where he was administered the clot-busting drug tPA. Robertson was responsive, awake, and moving all of his limbs about eighty minutes after his stroke began. He was discharged two days later and recovered at home.  Following this incident, Robertson and his family thanked the paramedics and medical staff for their "extraordinary care and rapid response." They also urged people to learn about stroke, its symptoms and treatments.

On February 12, 2018, Robertson returned to his normal duties as host of his television show The 700 Club just ten days after his stroke. He later released this statement: "I am grateful for the expressions of love and concern that have come toward me from all around the world, and I am thankful that I have received what amounted to a miraculous healing instead of what could have been a crippling illness. I am delighted to be back on the air to fulfill my life calling."

On June 5, 2019, Robertson returned to host The 700 Club after a few days off after breaking three ribs after falling into a chair.  He described the experience as very painful but said "Us old guys are tough and we try to stay in there and keep on going." He then thanked viewers for their prayers.

Political service and activism

Robertson is a past president of the Council for National Policy.  In 1982, he served on the Victims of Crime Task Force for President Reagan. In Virginia, he served on the Board of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and on the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors.  After his unsuccessful presidential campaign, Robertson started the Christian Coalition, a 1.7-million-member Christian right organization that campaigned mostly for conservative candidates. Billy McCormack, a Southern Baptist pastor in Shreveport, Louisiana, served as one of the four directors of the coalition as well as its vice president.
The coalition was sued by the Federal Election Commission "for coordinating its activities with Republican candidates for office in 1990, 1992 and 1994 and failing to report its expenditures". Robertson was a fundraiser for the Nicaraguan Contras. In March 1986, he told Israeli Foreign Affairs that South Africa was a major contributor to the Reagan administration's efforts to help the anti-Sandinista forces.

In 1994, the Coalition was fined for "improperly [aiding] then Representative Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Oliver North, who was then the Republican Senate nominee in Virginia." Robertson left the Coalition in 2001.

Robertson has been a governing member of the Council for National Policy (CNP): Board of Governors 1982, President Executive Committee 1985–86, member, 1984, 1988, 1998.

On November 7, 2007, Robertson announced that he was endorsing Rudy Giuliani to be the Republican nominee in the 2008 Presidential election. Some social conservatives criticized Robertson's endorsement of Giuliani, a pro-choice candidate who supported gay rights.

While usually associated with the political right, Pat Robertson has endorsed environmental causes. He appeared in a commercial with Al Sharpton, joking about this, and urging people to join the We Can Solve It campaign against global warming.

In January 2009, on a broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson stated that he is "adamantly opposed" to the division of Jerusalem between Israel and the Palestinians. He also stated that Armageddon is "not going to be fought at Megiddo" but will be the "battle of Jerusalem," when "the forces of all nations come together and try to take Jerusalem away from the Jews. Jews are not going to give up Jerusalem—they shouldn't—and the rest of the world is going to insist they give it up." Robertson added that Jerusalem is a "spiritual symbol that must not be given away" because "Jesus Christ the Messiah will come down to the part of Jerusalem that the Arabs want," and that's "not good."

Robertson has repeatedly called for the legalization of cannabis, saying that it should be treated in a manner analogous to the regulation of alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Robertson has said, "I just think it's shocking how many of these young people wind up in prison and they get turned into hard-core criminals because they had a possession of a very small amount of controlled substance. The whole thing is crazy." In 2014, he turned against the legalization of cannabis.

Controversies and criticisms

As a commentator and minister, Robertson frequently generates controversy.  Some of his remarks have been the subject of national and international media attention prompting responses from politicians.

Robertson's service as a minister has included the belief in the healing power of God. He has cautioned believers that some Protestant denominations may harbor the spirit of the Antichrist; prayed to deflect hurricanes; denounced Hinduism as "demonic" and Islam as "Satanic". Robertson has denounced left-wing views of feminism, activism regarding homosexuality, abortion, and liberal college professors. Critics claim Robertson had business dealings in Africa with former president of Liberia and convicted war criminal Charles Taylor and former Zaire president Mobutu Sese Seko who both had been internationally denounced for claims of human rights violations. Robertson was criticized internationally for his call for Hugo Chávez's assassination and for his remarks concerning Ariel Sharon's ill-health as an act of God.

Robertson made American national news in October 2003 for interviews with author Joel Mowbray about his book Dangerous Diplomacy, a book critical of the State Department. Robertson's commentary implied that if a small nuclear device were to be found at the department, such a thing might wake up America's leaders to actually realize a potential threat; however, government officials expressed disdain at the thought of such a scenario.

During the week of September 11, 2001, Robertson discussed the terror attacks with Jerry Falwell, who said that "the ACLU has to take a lot of blame for this" in addition to "the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays, and the lesbians [who have] helped [the terror attacks of September 11th] happen." Robertson replied, "I totally concur". Both evangelists were seriously criticized by President George W. Bush for their comments, for which Falwell later issued an apology.

Less than two weeks after Hurricane Katrina killed 1,836 people, Robertson implied on the September 12, 2005 broadcast of The 700 Club that the storm was God's punishment in response to America's abortion policy. He suggested that the September 11 attacks and the disaster in New Orleans "could ... be connected in some way".

On November 9, 2009, Robertson said that Islam is "a violent political system bent on the overthrow of the governments of the world and world domination". He went on to elaborate that "you're dealing with not a religion, you're dealing with a political system, and I think we should treat it as such, and treat its adherents as such as we would members of the communist party, members of some fascist group".

Robertson's response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake also drew international condemnation. Robertson claimed that Haiti's founders had sworn a "pact to the Devil" in order to liberate themselves from the French slave owners and indirectly attributed the earthquake to the consequences of the Haitian people being "cursed" for doing so. CBN later issued a statement saying that Robertson's comments "were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Dutty Boukman at Bois Caïman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French".  Various figures in mainline and evangelical Christianity have on occasion disavowed some of Robertson's remarks.

In March 2015, Robertson compared Buddhism to a disease on The 700 Club. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a conservative Christian watchdog group Robertson founded to promote Christian prayer in public schools, is calling for a multi-pronged attack on mindfulness programs because "they appear to be similar to Buddhist religious practices.  Proponents of secular mindfulness say mindfulness is not a Buddhist practice; it is a contemplative practice used in religious traditions around the world by many different names."

Predictions
Several times near New Year, Robertson has announced that God told him several truths or events that would happen in the following year. "I have a relatively good track record", he said. "Sometimes I miss."

1982: Judgment
In the May 19, 1982 broadcast of The 700 Club Robertson stated, "I guarantee you by the fall of 1982 there is going to be a judgment on the world."

In September 2011, Robertson and several others who incorrectly predicted various dates for the end of world were jointly awarded an Ig Nobel Prize for "teaching the world to be careful when making mathematical assumptions and calculations".

2004: Presidential election
In January 2004, Robertson said that God told him President Bush will be re-elected in a "blowout" in the election later that year. "I think George Bush is going to win in a walk", Robertson told viewers of his The 700 Club program. "I really believe I'm hearing from the Lord it's going to be like a blowout election in 2004. It's shaping up that way." Bush did in fact win re-election, but not in a landslide.  Kerry lost the electoral college vote by 14%, an outcome that did not signal a significant shift in the direction of politics.

2006: Pacific Northwestern tsunami
In May 2006, Robertson declared that storms and possibly a tsunami would hit America's coastline sometime in 2006. Robertson supposedly received this revelation from God during an annual personal prayer retreat in January. The claim was repeated four times on The 700 Club.

On May 8, 2006, Robertson said, "If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms." On May 17, 2006, he elaborated, "There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest."

2007: Terror attack
On the January 2, 2007 broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson said that God spoke to him and told him that "mass killings" were to come during 2007, due to a terrorist attack on the United States. He added, "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that." When a terrorist attack failed to happen in 2007, Robertson said, in January 2008, "All I can think is that somehow the people of God prayed and God in his mercy spared us."

2008: Worldwide violence and American recession
On the January 2, 2008 episode of The 700 Club, Pat Robertson predicted that 2008 would be a year of worldwide violence. He also predicted that a recession would occur in the United States that would be followed by a stock market crash by 2010. However, there was a decrease in overall deaths for the period, and the American economy had already entered a recession in 2007, with increased household debt and the collapse of financial institutions.

2008: Mideast meltdown
In October 2008, Robertson posted a press release on the Georgian conflict speculating that the conflict is a Russian ploy to enter the Middle East, and that instability caused by a predicted pre-emptive strike by Israel on Iran would result in Syria's and Iran's launching nuclear strikes on other targets. He also said that if the United States were to oppose Russia's expansion, nuclear strikes on American soil are also pending. "We will suffer grave economic damage, but will not engage in military action to stop the conflict. However, we may not be spared nuclear strikes against coastal cities. In conclusion, it is my opinion that we have between 75 and 120 days before the Middle East starts spinning out of control."

2009: Economic chaos and recovery
On the January 1, 2009 broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson said, "If I'm hearing [God] right, gold will go to about $1900 an ounce and oil to $300 a barrel." He also suggested that Americans would broadly accept socialism. Despite these predictions, he also said that economically "things are getting ready to turn around."

2012: Presidential election
On January 4, 2012, Robertson reported that God had spoken to him and he "thinks He showed me the next president" but would not name who it is. He did give an indication that it would not be President Obama since Robertson said God told him Obama's views were at "odds with the majority", but left some room for interpretation had the 2012 election expanded beyond a two-person race. Closer to the election, however, he expressly stated that God had told him that Mitt Romney would win and would be a two-term President. Obama was reelected for a second term.

2020: Presidential election and asteroid strike
On October 20, 2020, Robertson said, "But first of all I want to say without question Trump is going to win the election." Trump went on to be defeated by Joe Biden. Robertson also said there would be assassination attempts against Trump, and later an asteroid will hit that could destroy earth. After Biden was certified the winner by the United States Electoral College in December, Robertson, after briefly supporting Trump's legal disputes seeking to overturn the results, said Trump should concede. He also said Trump running again in 2024 would be a "mistake" and offered Nikki Haley as an alternative.

Works
 Shout It from the Housetops, an autobiography with Jamie Buckingham (1972, repr 1995)
 My Prayer for You (1977)
 The Secret Kingdom (1982)
 Answers to 200 of Life's Most Probing Questions (1984)
 Beyond Reason: How Miracles can Change your Life (1985)
 America's Dates with Destiny (1986)
 The Plan (1989)
 The New Millennium (1990)
 The New World Order (1991)
 Turning Tide: The Fall of Liberalism and the Rise of Common Sense (1993) 
 The End of the Age (1995, fiction)
 Six Steps to Spiritual Revival: God's Awesome Power in Your Life (2002) 
 Bring It on: Tough Questions, Candid Answers, Nashville, Tenn: W Pub. Group, 2003.  
 The Ten Offenses (2004)
 Courting Disaster (2004)
 Miracles Can Be Yours Today (2006)
 On Humility (2009) 
 Right on the Money: Financial Advice for Tough Times (2009)

See also
 Charismatic Movement
 Christian Fundamentalism
 Christian Zionism
 Moral Majority
 Christian Right

References

Further reading
 
 
 Marley, David John. Pat Robertson: An American Life

External links

 
 Brian Ross. Some Question Robertson's Katrina Charity, ABC News, September 9, 2005.
 "Preacher: God told him about storms, tsunami"
 
 2000 lbs. leg press
 Robertson talks about his prostate cancer surgery with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy
 NPR Audio Report: Televangelist Robertson Urges U.S. Hit on Chavez
 Archive of American Television interview with Pat Robertson
 

1930 births
Living people
20th-century American politicians
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Patrick or Pat Robertson may refer to:

 Pat Robertson (born 1930), American media mogul, Southern Baptist minister, and college administrator
 Pat Robertson (footballer) (1895–1947), Australian rules footballer for Essendon
 Patrick Robertson, Lord Robertson (1794–1855), Scottish judge
 Patrick Robertson (soccer) (born 1986), American soccer player 
 Patrick Robertson (musician) (born 1977), Australian musician and songwriter
 Patrick Francis Robertson (1807–1885), British Member of Parliament for Hastings
 Patrick Robertson (set designer) (1922–2009), British theatre designer Pat Robertson has made outspoken opinions with respect to religion, politics and several other subjects. Many of his statements have stirred controversy and several have been headline news in the United States, and elsewhere. Many of these comments have been made on his daily talk show, The 700 Club.

Criticism of Robertson's faith healing
In the 1970s and 1980s Robertson was a faith healer. James Randi devoted a chapter of his book The Faith Healers to criticizing Robertson's faith healing.  Randi commented that "in 1986, soon after the full importance of the AIDS epidemic began to become evident, Robertson was attempting to cure it by proclaiming people cured after prayer." Randi also noted, "Gerry Straub, a former associate of Pat Robertson and his television producer, pointed out in his book Salvation for Sale the astonishing fact that God seemed to time miracles to conform with standard television format," and "God would stop speaking to Pat and stop healing exactly in time with the theme music."  Randi explained that "in 1979, it appeared to Robertson's staff that their boss had been taking lessons from Oral Roberts" and "proposed to film the Second Coming!".  The project was eventually publicly dropped, but "budget allocations [CBN] are made for their development."

Efficacy of Robertson's prayers
Robertson prayed to God to steer hurricanes away from his company's Virginia Beach, Virginia headquarters. He credited his prayers for steering the course of Hurricane Gloria in 1985. The storm instead hit the Mid-Atlantic states and New England, causing $900 million in damage and eight deaths.

Calling non-Christians "termites"
In an August 1986 New York magazine article Robertson is quoted saying, "It is interesting, that termites don't build things, and the great builders of our nation almost to a man have been Christians, because Christians have the desire to build something. He is motivated by love of man and God, so he builds.  The people who have come into [our] institutions [today] are primarily termites.  They are into destroying institutions that have been built by Christians, whether it is universities, governments, our own traditions, that we have ... The termites are in charge now, and that is not the way it ought to be, and the time has arrived for a godly fumigation."

First child conceived out of wedlock
During Robertson's unsuccessful presidential bid in 1987, Robertson told a Wall Street Journal reporter that his wedding date was actually five months after the date he had always maintained.  Reporters said that the actual wedding date meant that his first son was conceived out of wedlock and that Robertson had lied about the date of his marriage in an attempt to cover the truth up. While conceding the reports were accurate, Robertson said that begetting his son out of wedlock occurred before Jesus Christ had entered his life. Robertson denounced the media choosing to report on the issue as "outrageous" and "reprehensible."

Comments on other Christian denominations
On January 14, 1991, on The 700 Club, Pat Robertson attacked a number of Protestant denominations when he declared: "You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing.  Nonsense.  I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist."

Comments on Islam
Robertson frequently denounces the religion of Islam and Muslim people. During a 1995 taping of The 700 Club, he called the religion a "Christian heresy". During a September 19, 2002 episode of Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, Robertson claimed that the Muslim prophet Muhammad was "an absolute wild-eyed fanatic ... a robber and a brigand." On the July 14, 2005 broadcast of The 700 Club, he claimed that "Islam, at its core, teaches violence."

On the March 13, 2006 broadcast of The 700 Club Robertson stated that Muslims want global domination and that the outpouring of rage elicited by cartoon drawings of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad "just shows the kind of people we're dealing with. These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power. It is Satanic and it's time we recognize what we're dealing with."  He finished by stating "by the way, Islam is not a religion of peace."  The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, slammed Robertson's comments as "grossly irresponsible". Lynn went on to say, "At a time when inter-religious tensions around the world are at an all-time high, Robertson seems determined to throw gasoline on the fire."

On the September 25, 2006 broadcast of The 700 Club Robertson stated "It's amazing how the Muslims deal with history and the truth with violence. They don't understand what reasoned dialogue is ..."

On the November 9, 2009 edition of The 700 Club Robertson stated "Islam is a violent – I was going to say, 'religion', but it's not a religion; it's a political system. It's a violent political system bent on the overthrow of the governments of the world, and world domination. That is the ultimate aim. And they talk about infidels and all this, but the truth is that's what the game is. So, you're dealing with a – not a religion – you're dealing with a political system. And I think we should treat it as such, and treat its adherents as such, as we would members of the Communist Party, or members of some fascist group."

Comments on Hinduism
On March 23, 1995, Pat Robertson led a television program in which he attacked Hinduism, calling it "demonic". He said that they worship "idols" and "hundreds of millions of deities," which "has put a nation in bondage to spiritual forces that have deceived many for thousands of years." He spoke against the doctrines of karma and reincarnation.

These and other remarks have been repudiated by some Hindus. Dr. Kusumita Pedersen, Director for the Project on Human Rights and Religion, commented that Robertson has employed "almost every negative image and cliché that has been used about Hinduism since the 18th century."

In his book The New World Order, Robertson wrote: "When I said during my presidential bid that I would bring only Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. 'What do you mean?' the media challenged me. 'You're not going to bring atheists into the government?  How dare you maintain that those who believe in Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?' My simple answer is, 'Yes, they are.'"

David Cantor, Senior Research Analyst of the Anti-Defamation League, points out that such "religious tests for office are unconstitutional. It's not just a purely a religious statement. It's a political statement."

Feminism, homosexuality, abortion and liberalism
Robertson is opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage.  He has described feminism as a "socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."

Many of Robertson's views mirror those of fellow evangelical activist pastor Jerry Falwell, who made frequent appearances on The 700 Club. He agreed with Falwell when Falwell stated that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were caused by "pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians, the American Civil Liberties Union and the People For the American Way."

The June 8, 1998 edition of his show, where Robertson denounced Orlando, Florida and Disney World for allowing a privately sponsored "Gay Days" weekend, also drew criticism from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Robertson stated that the acceptance of homosexuality could result in hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorist bombings and "possibly a meteor," prompting Americans United to criticize Robertson, saying it was "deplorable that Robertson is using the tragedy of these fires to promote his religious and political agenda." The resulting outcry prompted Robertson to return to the topic on June 24, where he quoted the Book of Revelation to support his claims. The first hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Bonnie, actually turned away from Florida and instead damaged the rest of the East Coast. The area hardest hit by the hurricane was the Hampton Roads region, which includes Virginia Beach, the place of origin of Robertson's The 700 Club.  While other hurricanes did hit Florida, none of them hit Disney World.

While discussing the Mark Foley scandal on the October 5, 2006 broadcast of the show, Robertson condemned Foley, saying he "does what gay people do" and claiming that it would not hurt Republican chances in the elections, as "the church people understand forgiveness, they understand sin."

Following the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States, Robertson stated, on the June 29, 2015 episode of The 700 Club, in response to the ruling that, "You're gonna say that you like anal sex, you like oral sex, you like bestiality." He went on to say, "Sooner or later, you're going to have to conform your religious beliefs to the group of some abhorrent thing. It won't stop at homosexuality."

Comments on Scotland 
In 1999, Bank of Scotland announced a joint venture with Robertson to establish banks in the United States that conduct all business by telephone, a business model that had been successful in the United Kingdom.  Robertson said that the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church ignored the teachings of Saint Paul because they have ordained gays. Robertson also said that Scotland was "a dark land" overrun by gays. In response the Bank of Scotland dropped their plans for a business operation with Robertson, following customer complaints. In a press release, Robertson said that "media comments about him had made it impossible to proceed."

Financial ties to politicians
An investigation by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Office of Consumer Affairs determined that Robertson "willfully induced contributions from the public through the use of misleading statements and other implications" and called for a criminal prosecution against Robertson in 1999. However, Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, a Republican whose largest campaign contributor two years earlier was Robertson himself, intervened, accepting that Robertson had made deceptive appeals but overruling the recommendation for his prosecution.

Comments on Chinese abortions
In a 2001 interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, he said that the Chinese were "doing what they have to do," regarding China's one-child policy, sometimes enforced with compulsory abortions, though he said that he did not personally agree with the practice.  The statement drew criticisms from a variety of groups, including the Family Research Council, Traditional Values Coalition, and Concerned Women for America.

Racehorse ownership
In April 2002, Robertson acknowledged buying a race horse, named "Mr. Pat", for $520,000.  He told a New York Times reporter that his interest in the horse was based purely on its aesthetics. "I don't bet and I don't gamble. I just enjoy watching horses running and performing." Christian scholar Martin Marty criticised this statement by Robertson, stating "The whole culture of horse racing involves gambling, and all the money comes from people trying to hit it big gambling. This is like saying you're investing in a bordello but aren't in favor of prostitution."

Financial ties to African leaders
Robertson repeatedly supported former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, in various episodes of his The 700 Club program during the United States' involvement in the Second Liberian Civil War in June and July 2003.  Robertson accuses the U.S. State Department of giving President Bush bad advice in supporting Taylor's ouster as president, and of trying "as hard as they can to destabilize Liberia."

Robertson was criticized for failing to mention in his broadcasts his $8,000,000 (USD) investment in a Liberian gold mine. Taylor had been indicted by the United Nations for war crimes at the time of Robertson's support, and was found guilty of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, slavery and the use of child soldiers.

Prosecutors also said that Taylor had harbored members of Al Qaeda responsible for the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.  According to Robertson, the Liberian gold mine Freedom Gold was intended to help pay for humanitarian and evangelical efforts in Liberia, when in fact the company was allowed to fail leaving many debts both in Liberia and in the international mining service sector.  Regarding this controversy, Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy said, "I would say that Pat Robertson is way out on his own, in a leaking life raft, on this one."

Operation Blessing
Robertson has also been accused of using his tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, Operation Blessing International, as a front for his own financial gain, and then using his influence in the Republican Party to cover his tracks. After Robertson made emotional pleas in 1994 on The 700 Club for cash donations to Operation Blessing to support airlifts of refugees from Rwanda to Zaire, a reporter from The Virginian-Pilot stated that Operation Blessing's planes were transporting diamond-mining equipment for the Robertson-owned African Development Corporation, a venture Robertson had established in cooperation with Zaire's dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko, whom Robertson had befriended earlier in 1993. According to Operation Blessing documents, Robertson personally owned the planes used for Operation Blessing airlifts. A documentary exploring the Operation Blessing controversies, entitled Mission Congo, premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

Robertson continues to state that Operation Blessing was largely responsible for providing aid to Rwanda following the 1994 genocide, even after an official investigation into Operation Blessing described it as a "fraudulent and deceptive" operation that provided almost no aid. According to The Guardian, all Operation Blessing volunteers did was recite Bible passages at dying refugees. Robertson was accused of taking credit for work that was actually done by Médecins Sans Frontières. On December 12, 2013, The Guardian issued an apology to Operation Blessing over false claims in the article "Mission Congo: how Pat Robertson raised millions on the back of a non-existent aid project" and agreed to make a contribution to Operation Blessing to be used in its relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. A 1999 report concluded that whilst Robertson's requests for donations to Operation Blessing had been misleading, they were not an intentional attempt to commit fraud.

Comments on the US State Department
On his The 700 Club television program, Pat Robertson has sharply criticized elements of the United States government and "special interest" groups that do not share his views. In October 2003 interviews with author Joel Mowbray about his book "Dangerous Diplomacy", a book critical of the United States Department of State, Robertson made suggestions that the explosion of a nuclear weapon at State Department Headquarters would be good for the country, and repeated those comments on the air.  "What we need is for somebody to place a small nuke at Foggy Bottom."

Iraq War
Pat Robertson claimed in 2004 that President George W. Bush told him before he led the United States into the Iraq War, that he expected there to be no casualties. He made this claim in an interview with CNN, on October 19, 2004. President Bush's then-press secretary Scott McClellan denied the allegation.  Mike McCurry, press secretary for Democratic Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, who was Bush's opponent for the presidency in the 2004 election, said that Bush deserved the benefit of the doubt, but he should say whether or not Robertson was telling the truth or lying.

Venezuela

Comments on assassinating Hugo Chávez

On the August 22, 2005 broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson said of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez:

Robertson also said that Chávez was "going to make Venezuela a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent" and called the leader an "out-of-control dictator ... a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil that could hurt us very badly."

Assassinations of heads of state have been against U.S. policy since an executive order against them was issued in 1976; in response, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that "our department doesn't do that kind of thing." Bernardo Álvarez, Venezuela's ambassador to the U.S., demanded a stronger condemnation from the White House and that the United States "respect our country and its president."

On the August 24 edition of The 700 Club, Robertson asserted that he hadn't actually called for Chávez's assassination, but that there were other ways of "taking him out", such as having special forces carry out a kidnapping.  Robertson explicitly denied having used the word "assassination", though the word "assassinate" was present in his initial statement.<ref>The 700 Club, August 24, 2005.</ref> Later that day, he issued a written statement in which he said, "Is it right to call for assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him". However, he continued to justify his original stance on the potential threat Chávez posed to U.S. interests, even reiterating his support for Chavez's assassination on the February 2, 2006 edition of Hannity and Colmes, replying "[N]ot now, but one day, one day, one day," when asked whether Robertson wanted Chavez taken out.

On Sunday, August 28, 2005, Chávez called on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the matter: "My government is going to take legal action in the United States," he said in a televised speech. "If the U.S. government does not take the necessary steps, we will denounce the U.S. government at the United Nations and the Organization of American States".
Comments about assassinating Nicolas Maduro
On April 4, 2019, amidst the Venezuelan presidential crisis, Robertson called for the assassination of Nicolás Maduro. Robertson called for the United States to take out Maduro with a “hellfire missile” strike. Maduro survived a drone attack in 2018. Robertson’s remark occurred 14 years after Robertson called for the assassination of Chavez.

Attributing statement to Barry W. Lynn
On the November 5, 2005 airing of The 700 Club, Robertson claimed that Reverend Barry W. Lynn, director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said that "if a church is burning down, the local community could not send the fire engine to put the fire out because that would violate, quote, separation of church and state."  Rev. Lynn responded, denying the allegation and saying "I've seen [Robertson] take pot shots at me with information I have repeatedly told them is not true. Robertson, for example, continues to tell national television audiences that I believe that a public fire department can't go to a burning church without violating the separation of church and state. He apparently uses this "anecdote" to demonstrate my radical, wacky beliefs.  Trouble is (for him), I never said it and don't believe it."  Robertson also drew criticism from Focus on the Family for the statement in their magazine, Citizen, saying that "One Christian conservative leader [presumably Robertson] has mistakenly suggested that Lynn would say a burning church shouldn't be able to call the fire department lest it violate the bounds of church-state separation."

Comments on Dover, Pennsylvania

On his November 10, 2005 broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson told citizens of Dover, Pennsylvania that they had rejected God by voting out of office all seven members of the school board who support intelligent design.

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected him from your city", Robertson said on his broadcast.

"And don't wonder why he hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for his help because he might not be there."

In a written statement, Robertson later clarified his comments:

"God is tolerant and loving, but we can't keep sticking our finger in his eye forever. If they have future problems in Dover, I recommend they call on Charles Darwin. Maybe he can help them."

Comments on Ariel Sharon's health
The lead story on the January 5, 2006, edition of The 700 Club was Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's hospitalization for a severe stroke.  After the story, Robertson said that Sharon's illness was possibly retribution from God for his recent drive to give more land to the Palestinians. He also claimed former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin's 1995 assassination may have occurred for the same reason.

The remarks drew criticism from all sides, even from other evangelicals.  For instance, Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said that Robertson "ought to know better" than to say such things.  He added, "...the arrogance of the statement shocks me almost as much as the insensitivity of it." Ted Haggard, then president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said that "any doctor could have predicted (Sharon's) going to have health problems" and that his illness was medical, not divine retribution. The White House called Robertson's statement "wholly inappropriate and offensive".  Robertson was also chastised by Israeli officials and members of the Anti-Defamation League.

On January 11, Israel responded by announcing that Robertson would be banned from involvement in a project to build a Christian tourist attraction and pilgrimage site near the Sea of Galilee known as the Christian Heritage Center.  The plan had called for Israel leasing  of land to a group of evangelicals (including Robertson) for free to create several tourist attractions and pilgrimage sites in exchange for the evangelicals raising 50 million dollars in funding. A spokesman for the Tourism Ministry commented, "We cannot accept these statements, and we will not sign any contracts with Mr. Robertson."

He added that the decision would not apply to all members of the evangelical community: "We want to see who in the group supports his (Robertson's) statements. Those who support the statements cannot do business with us. Those that publicly support Ariel Sharon's recovery ... are welcome to do business with us."

On January 12, Robertson sent a letter to Sharon's son Omri, apologizing for his comments. In the letter, Robertson called Ariel Sharon a "kind, gracious and gentle man" who was "carrying an almost insurmountable burden of making decisions for his nation." He added that his "concern for the future safety of your nation led me to make remarks which I can now view in retrospect as inappropriate and insensitive in light of a national grief experienced because of your father's illness ... I ask your forgiveness and the forgiveness of the people of Israel." Omri and the Israeli government accepted the apology, though it remained unclear whether the deal with Robertson would be rehabilitated..

While some observers were satisfied by the gesture, some reporters also accused Robertson of using the apology as a tactic allowing him to make such statements while promoting a public image among evangelicals as a leader who does not compromise on his values. Surprisingly, some of the harsher criticism of Robertson did not come from American or Israeli Jews, but from his fellow evangelicals and conservative Christians, who charged that Robertson's behavior did serious harm to evangelicals' image, and led to unfair generalizations and criticism of them.

The fallout from Robertson's comments was still visible over a month after the event; after speaking with organizers of the National Religious Broadcasters February 2006 convention, Robertson wound up cancelling his planned keynote speech.

A representative from Israel's Tourism Ministry diplomatically commented, "Pat Robertson has been a long-term friend of the state of Israel, and continues to be so."

In March 2006, Robertson lost a bid for re-election to the board of directors of the National Religious Broadcasters.

Comments about "liberal professors"
On the March 21, 2006 broadcast of The 700 Club, while reviewing The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America by David Horowitz, the subject of which is radical academics in American universities, Robertson went on to say that the 101 professors named in the book are only but a few of "thirty to forty thousand" left-wing professors in the United States, all of whom he accused of being "racists, murderers, sexual deviants and supporters of Al-Qaeda," further labeling them as "termites that have worked into the woodwork of our academic society."  Later in the broadcast, he went on to say, "these guys are out and out communists, they are radicals, they are, you know, some of them killers, and they are propagandists of the first order ... you don't want your child to be brainwashed by these radicals, you just don't want it to happen. Not only brainwashed but also beat up, they beat these people up, cower them into submission."

 Leg press claims
In May 2006 Robertson began claiming on his web site that through training and his "Age-Defying energy shake", he is able to leg press  while others claim he is a liar, pushing a common energy formula. Two thousand pounds would be an exceptional accomplishment for a world-class athlete, to say nothing of Robertson, then in his seventies.  For comparative purposes, when Dan Kendra set the Florida State University record of , the leg press machine required extensive modifications to hold the proper amount of weight, and the capillaries in both of Kendra's eyes burst during his successful attempt. Thus, Robertson's claimed achievement would add  to the best-ever total of Kendra, a top athlete in his physical prime, who later played in the National Football League and tried unsuccessfully to become a Navy SEAL.

In response to the skepticism about this claim, Robertson's website has claimed that his doctor is able to leg press , and that "It is not nearly as hard as the authors of these reports make it out to be." A video has also been provided supposedly demonstrating Robertson doing several reps with a weight of .  In the video Pat Robertson is seen using a 45-degree sled-type leg press machine, which reduces the effective weight to  (sin(45°) x 1000 lbs [454 kg]). He keeps the safety locks in place at the second step, which severely limits the range of possible motion.  The seat is positioned to allow approximately six inches of travel after the lock.  This setup gives Pat Robertson the maximum mechanical advantage at the last few inches of travel. In contrast, actual leg press technique is allowing the weight to slide down until the hip and knee joints are at significant flexion.  The video of Roberson's lift has also been criticized because it does not appear to verify his claim that he's lifting . Mike DeBonis of Slate noted "It appears as if 16 plates are loaded on the machine. Four of them look like 100-pound [45 kg] plates, and the rest are 45s [20 kg]. That adds up to 940 pounds [425 kg]." DeBonis also noted that Robertson is using incorrect form as he "helps his legs by pushing on his knees with his arms.  That's a no-no.  He also achieves nowhere near the recommended full range of motion, which is to bring the knees to at least a 90-degree angle." DeBonis saw the claims made by Robertson and similar claims by Madeleine Albright (that she can press ) as yet another proof of the inferiority of that particular machine in comparison to the barbell squat, "Most leg press machines are constructed as either a sled angled at 45 degrees or a lever. (There are some that use cables, too.) In all cases, some of the weight gets borne by the machine. You may be loading 400 pounds [180 kg], but your muscles are feeling only 200 [90 kg]." The video has since been removed from the CBN website.

Robertson responded to questions concerning the lift in an interview with CBS.  He maintained his claim to have done it but admitted "I didn't do it with the same form that these professional bodybuilders do, which is a full squat, and it's very difficult. But I did do it. I regularly can do 1,000 pounds [454 kg] and 1,200 pounds [544 kg]." He said he used an incline leg press and did "the full extension on that particular machine. They have a brake on it. I was told put the brake on.  When the professionals do it, they take the brake off and let the weight come all the way down on them. And if you don't have a lot of help, you've got a Volkswagen sitting on your hips. I didn't do that."

In June 2006, General Nutrition Center, a nutritional supplement retailer, announced without explanation that it would stop carrying Robertson's energy drink.

Racist comments about Asian appearance
On the February 7, 2007 edition of The 700 Club, Robertson stated that people who have too much plastic surgery "got the eyes like they're Oriental" and stretched his eyelids in a manner stereotypical of Asians.

2010 Haiti earthquake
On the January 13, 2010 broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson blamed the Haitians for making a deal with the Devil during their 1791 slave rebellion, resulting in the Haiti earthquake of January 12, 2010 and other misfortunes.  He told viewers of his Christian Broadcasting Network:

He went on to state:

The reference to a "pact to the devil" was later said by CBN to be a reference to the Vodou ceremony conducted by Dutty Boukman involving animal sacrifice in Bois Caïman that began the Haitian revolution. Contrary to Robertson's claims however, this ceremony and the religion of Vodou in general does not involve Satan or devil worship.  Robertson mistakenly identified the French government as that of Napoleon III, as Haiti became independent (and the Revolution won) four years before Napoleon III was born.  In fact, it was Napoleon Bonaparte (by far, the more famous of the two rulers), who sent a French army to try to recapture Haiti a decade after its revolution.  The force was destroyed by yellow fever and the fierce resistance led by Haitian generals.

Veteran Christian radio broadcaster Michael Ireland stated that this Haitian Vodou ceremony has long been erroneously referenced by various self-assoiling Christian sources as the "pact with the devil" or "pact to the devil" that began the Haitian revolution. This Vodou ceremony was a ceremonial impulsion to the liberation of thousands of abjectly enslaved peoples under French, mostly Christian, tyranny: and as such has been perverted over the following decades to besmear a righteous liberty-struggle as formed of wicked means.  These Christians were influenced by spiritual warfare theology and concerned that the Aristide government had made efforts to incorporate the Vodou sector more fully into the political process. These Evangelicals developed a counter-narrative to the official national story. In this narrative, the ancestral spirits at the Vodou cemetery were re-cast as demons. In their view, the engagement with demons amounted to a pact that put Haiti under the rule of Satan. While some Haitian Evangelicals subscribe to this idea, most Haitian nationalists vehemently oppose it. According to Gothenburg University researcher Markel Thylefors, "The event of the Bois Caïman ceremony forms an important part of Haitian national identity as it relates to the very genesis of Haiti."

In his daily press briefing on January 14, 2010, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said of Robertson's commentary:  "It never ceases to amaze that in times of amazing human suffering somebody says something that could be so utterly stupid."

Mainline and evangelical Christian voices appeared mostly unanimous in criticizing Robertson's remarks as untrue, untimely and insensitive.

Comments on marijuana laws
On the December 16, 2010 broadcast of The 700 Club Pat Robertson condemned harsh sentences for people convicted of possession of cannabis. Robertson stated, "We're locking up people that take a couple of puffs of marijuana, and the next thing you know they've got 10 years." He went on to say, "I'm not exactly for the use of drugs – don't get me wrong – but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot and that kind of thing, I mean, it's just costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people."

Robertson's remarks were applauded by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and the Drug Policy Alliance. Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance Ethan Nadelmann said, "The people who are listening to him may roll their eyes when the Democrats say this, but when Pat Robertson says this he has credibility in the faith community."

Appearing on Good Morning America, Vice President Joe Biden condemned Robertson's commentary, saying, "I still believe it's a gateway drug.  I've spent a lot of my life as chairman of the Judiciary Committee dealing with this.  I think it would be a mistake to legalize."

Comments advocating divorce
On the September 14, 2011, broadcast of The 700 Club, a viewer talked about a friend who was bitter at God because his wife had Alzheimer's disease, and the friend had started seeing another woman. The viewer asked Robertson for his advice. Robertson responded, "I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her." He continued saying, "If you respect that vow, you say 'til death do us part. This is a kind of death."

In response, Russell D. Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote that Robertson's comments were "a repudiation of the gospel of Jesus Christ" and that "Pat Robertson's cruel marriage statement is no anomaly. He and his cohorts have given us for years a prosperity gospel with more in common with an Asherah pole than a cross."

Following a backlash over Robertson's advice, Robertson said, "Basically I'm saying, adultery is not a good thing and you might as well straighten your life out and the only way to do it is to kind of get your affair with your wife in order. ... I was not giving advice to the whole world and nor was I counseling anybody to be unscriptural and leave their spouse. ... Please know that I believe the Bible. Please know that I never would tell anybody to leave their sick spouse. I never never would say such a thing because I need my spouse when I get sick and she needs me when she gets sick. In sickness and in health, I believe it!"

Comments on spousal abuse
Robertson was criticized in September 2012 after a man named Michael called The 700 Club asking for advice on what to do about his wife not respecting him. Robertson called the woman a "rebellious child" who did not want to "submit to any authority." He jokingly suggested that Michael become a Muslim and move to Saudi Arabia where he could beat her. Critics noted that Robertson's comments about wife-beating were edited out of the episode when it appeared on the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Comments on Young Earth creationism
In November 2012, a viewer of The 700 Club wrote that one of her biggest fears was that her children and husband would not go to heaven "because they question why the Bible could not explain the existence of dinosaurs."

Before answering the question, Robertson acknowledged the statement was controversial by saying, "I know that people will probably try to lynch me when I say this." He then replied: "You go back in time, you've got radiocarbon dating. You got all these things, and you've got the carcasses of dinosaurs frozen in time out in the Dakotas. They're out there. So, there was a time when these giant reptiles were on the Earth, and it was before the time of the Bible. So, don't try and cover it up and make like everything was 6,000 years. That's not the Bible. If you fight science, you're going to lose your children, and I believe in telling them the way it was."

Young Earth creationist and director of Answers in Genesis, Ken Ham responded to Robertson's commentary by saying: "Not only do we have to work hard to not let our kids be led astray by the anti-God teaching of the secularists, we have to work hard to not let them be led astray by compromising church leaders like Pat Robertson. Pat Robertson gives more fodder to our enemies." Ham said, referring to secularists and atheists who applauded Robertson online for his statements. He went on to say that, "Such leaders — including Pat Robertson — have a lot to answer to the Lord for one day, such leaders are guilty of putting stumbling blocks in the way of kids and adults in regards to believing God's word and the Gospel."

In May 2014, Robertson responded to a caller regarding the age of the earth: "You have to be deaf, dumb and blind to think that this Earth that we live in only has 6,000 years of existence, it just doesn't, I'm sorry ... To deny the clear record that's there before us makes us looks silly ... There's no way that all this that you have here took place in 6,000 years, it just couldn't have been done, couldn't possibly have been done."

Once again, Ham vociferously criticized Robertson's remarks saying: "Pat Robertson illustrates one of the biggest problems we have today in the church-people like Robertson compromise the Word of God with the pagan ideas of fallible men!" Ham went on to say: "Pat Robertson is not upholding the Word of God with his ridiculous statements -- he is undermining the authority of the Word."

Comments on AIDS
On the August 27, 2013 episode of The 700 Club, Robertson said that members of the San Francisco gay community would deliberately infect people with AIDS by cutting them with a sharp, infected ring while shaking hands. The comment was edited out when the clip was posted online, but as of September 5, 2013 the video was available from other outlets. He also said that the homosexual community had put laws on the books prohibiting people from mentioning their HIV status.

During the October 16, 2014 episode of The 700 Club, a viewer sent in an email saying she had been called by God to go on a mission trip to Kenya but friends and family had expressed fears that she could catch Ebola in Kenya. In his answer, Robertson pointed out that there was not currently an outbreak of Ebola in Kenya, but warned of the risk of AIDS, stating: "You might get AIDS in Kenya, people have AIDS, you've got to be careful. I mean, the towels could have AIDS." Health experts subsequently stated that towels cannot have AIDS. The comment angered viewers in Kenya who took to Twitter to express their disapproval using the hashtag someonetellPatRobertson''. The show later apologized.

Comments on US-Saudi Arabia relations after the death of Jamal Khashoggi
Robertson received criticism after stating that "we've got an arms deal that everybody wanted a piece of ... it'll be a lot of jobs, a lot of money come to our coffers. It's not something you want to blow up willy-nilly" in the wake of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Comments about critical race theory
On June 25, 2021, Robertson sparked controversy after he said that critical race theory is a “monstrous evil”. He also said that it gives people of color “the whip handle” over white people. Several people questioned and condemned Robertson’s remarks. Former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll said that he was disappointed with Robertson’s remarks.

Comments about mass shootings
The day after the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting, Robertson claimed that the shooting was caused by atheists and "people who hate God", garnering controversy as some people saw his comments as inflammatory towards atheists.

Robertson also garnered controversy after blaming the 2017 Las Vegas shooting on disrespect for then-president Donald Trump, as well as NFL players taking the knee during the National Anthem.

Comments about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On February 28, 2022, Robertson sparked controversy after saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "compelled by God" to invade Ukraine to fulfill the "end times prophecy" in Israel. His claims have been described as having a "lack of evidence" to support them.

References

Bibliography
 

Controversies by person
Intelligent design controversies
Political controversies in the United States
Protestantism-related controversies
Television controversies in the United States