The daughter of America’s most famous evangelical preacher has claimed that God let the September 11 attacks happen because he was angered by transgender people.

Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of 97-year-old Billy Graham, said that terrorist attacks and bad weather were “evidence that God has backed away,” as a result of the policies in the US.

Mrs Graham Lotz, 67, who runs AnGeL Ministries, a church in North Carolina, added that the transgender row in her own state was an example of the “chaos”.

North Carolina’s governor ruled that people must use the bathroom corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate – sparking a wave of anger from gay rights groups and boycotts by businesses, entertainers and tourists. But Mrs Graham Lotz said the gay rights protest was an example of the “craziness” which was angering God.