Pat Robertson, the televangelist who helped turn Christian conservatives into a potent force in U.S. politics, died at age 93 at his Virginia home, the Christian Broadcasting Network said in a statement on Thursday.
Robertson founded the network in 1960 and hosted the flagship program “The 700 Club” for decades, offering prayers and political commentary. In 1980, the show helped galvanize support among Christian conservatives for Republican Ronald Reagan’s successful campaign for president.
Robertson unsuccessfully ran for president himself in 1988. He finished second in the Iowa caucuses largely by appealing to the state’s sizable evangelical population, a strategy that has since been standard practice for Republican presidential contenders in the Midwestern state.
Soon after his White House bid, Robertson founded the Christian Coalition, a grassroots organization that proved a powerful mobilizer for the conservative religious voters who became a core constituency for the Republican Party.
The Christian Broadcasting Network, the organization he founded, did not immediately announce Robertson’s cause of death. “Pat Robertson dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel, helping those in need, and educating the next generation,” the company said.
He was one of the most prominent and influential Christian broadcasters and entrepreneurs in the United States — equal parts religious leader and culture warrior.
In addition to the Christian Broadcasting Network, which eventually reached countries around the world, Robertson also founded Regent University, a religious school in Virginia; the American Center for Law and Justice, a Christian legal advocacy group; and Operation Blessing, an international charity.
Robertson had four children, including his son, Gordon, who is president of the network and has hosted “The 700 Club” since the elder Robertson stepped down from the show in 2021.
CREDIT:REUTERS