Pat Robertson, Founder of Christian Broadcasting Network, Dies at 93

Christian evangelist Pat Robertson, who ran the Christian Broadcasting Network and sought the GOP presidential nomination, died Thursday at the age of 93.

His death was confirmed on his network, in a statement from his son, Gordon Robertson, who is also the network’s CEO and president. A memorial service will be held “in the coming days,” he said.

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Robertson came to notoriety as the host of The 700 Club, a television channel which filtered guests, news and music through a Christian lens, but which also caused outcry over incendiary statements about 9/11, homosexuality, AIDs and more. That channel later became the tentpole of Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network, which he started as a small station in Virginia and grew into a money-making venture, thanks to contributions from viewers, and a powerful national network with great political influence.

Robertson parlayed that fame into a 1988 run for the GOP candidate for president. He finished in second place in the Iowa caucuses, but later dropped out and endorsed George H.W. Bush.

After his presidential bid, Robertson founded the Christian Coalition, a grassroots conservative campaign that sought to get Christians more involved in the political process. This helped further cement the influence of conservative Christian values on the Republican party and had a large influence on the campaigns of Republicans such as Newt Gingrich and George W. Bush.

Robertson stepped down as host of The 700 Club in 2021, and passed over the reins to his son. Before going, Robertson interviewed former President Donald Trump during his tenure at the White House and also welcomed advisers, including Kellyanne Conway.

Robertson’s other enterprises included founding the evangelical school Regent University; the affiliated American Center for Law and Justice, which defends the First Amendment rights of Christians; and the international charity Operation Blessing.

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