Pat Robertson steps down after 55 years of hosting ‘The 700 Club’

Pat Robertson, host of the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The 700 Club,” is stepping down after 55 years.

Robertson, 91, who founded the CBN in 1966, said Friday that his son, Gordon Robertson, would succeed him as host, The Washington Post reported. Gordon Robertson has been the show’s co-host and executive producer for two decades, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A spokesperson for CBN said Friday’s anniversary was an “appropriate” time to change the show’s leadership. Robertson suffered a stroke in 2018.

Conservative Christian leader Pat Robertson steps down after 55 years of hosting “The 700 Club” https://t.co/PevCGSJvy6
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 1, 2021

“His legacy and the example of his prayer life will continue to lead The 700 Club in the years to come,” Gordon Robertson told The Wall Street Journal.

Pat Robertson, said he would refocus his efforts on teaching at Regent University, the private Christian school he founded in 1977, the newspaper reported.

According to a news release from CBN, Pat Robertson “looks forward to devoting his energy and experience full-time to helping train and equip members of the 11,000-strong student body of Regent University as they are preparing to become ‘Christian Leaders to Change the World.’”

Today on the 60th anniversary of the @700Club being on air, my wonderful grandfather Pat Robertson announced his retirement from TV. I’m so grateful for the years I’ve had working w/ him and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for him & CBN in this new season to come! ❤️🙌 pic.twitter.com/Q2wLgFTCE9
— Abigail Robertson (@AbigailCBN) October 1, 2021

Robertson interviewed several U.S. presidents, including Donald Trump, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. He also interviewed leaders from Israel, China, South Africa and Vietnam, the Post reported, and addressed many major world events on “The 700 Club.”

Since CBN debuted on Oct. 1, 1961, it has expanded to over 170 countries and territories, The Wall Street Journal reported. CBN is aired in dozens of languages, according to the company.

Robertson made a bid for the Republican nomination for president in 1988, finishing third in the race behind George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole.

In 2005, Roberson called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town not to be surprised if disaster struck them because they voted out school board members who favored teaching “intelligent design,” according to Politico.

Robertson also favored ending mandatory prison sentences for marijuana possession convictions, the website reported. He later said on the “700 Club” that marijuana should be legalized and treated like alcohol, Politico reported.