Falwell sought to cut financial ties to pool attendant before Trump’s campaign

Then, at the meeting at Loews Miami Beach Hotel in May 2015, Falwell surprised Granda by offering to buy him out. He also mentioned something else that caught Granda’s attention: Donald Trump, he said, was planning to run for president, a somewhat surprising move that would place the New York developer among roughly a dozen people contending for the GOP nomination.

To Granda, the two events appeared to be connected: Jerry Falwell was trying to remove evidence of his family’s ties to Granda in anticipation of getting involved in politics, which could invite greater scrutiny of his activities.

Now, as Falwell fights to save his job, the meeting seems to mark a change in the evangelical leader’s life, the moment when he decided to step into the political arena as Trump’s leading backer in the religious right. The move dramatically raised Falwell’s profile, but also cast a harsh spotlight on his behavior.

“Jerry Falwell Jr. admired Trump’s strongman public persona,” Granda told POLITICO in one of a series of phone conversations and emailed exchanges. “Also, there was a noticeable personality change after Trump was elected. He was drunk on power and felt like he could get away with anything.”