Billy Graham, 95, minister to presidents and paupers, hospitalized

The Rev. Billy Graham, one of the nation’s most famous evangelists whose ministry tended to presidents and paupers, has been taken to a hospital for observation in Asheville, N.C., his spokesman said Wednesday.

Graham, who celebrated his 95th birthday on Nov. 7 at a party with guests including Donald Trump and Sarah Palin, went to the hospital Tuesday and is expected to released soon, his spokesman said.

“Billy Graham is in the hospital with a respiratory congestion issue, similar to what he had a few weeks ago. As was the case then, we expect he will be able to return home in a day or two,” Mark DeMoss, a family spokesman, said in a statement emailed to reporters.

In October, Graham went in for a regularly scheduled doctor’s visit but spent two nights in the hospital for pulmonary testing. He has been hospitalized for a number of health-related issues in the last few years and now uses a wheelchair.

Supporters characterized the birthday celebration as Graham’s final sermon. Over the years, he has ministered to hundreds of millions of people in international and national crusades.

He is famous for consulting and consoling U.S. presidents, especially Richard Nixon, who was carrying the weight of the Watergate scandal that eventually forced his resignation.

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