Streep accepted the Cecil B DeMille award at the event but used her speech to attack Trump, though without mentioning him by name. She referred to his mockery of a disabled reporter, saying: "This instinct to humiliate, when it's modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybody's life, because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing."

Trump responded in a tweet calling Streep "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood" and a "Hillary flunkey who lost big". 

The founder of Samaritan's Purse, who is to lead prayers at Trump's inauguration on January 20, has made no secret of his belief that Trump was chosen by God as the next US president.

In his Facebook post Graham quoted conservative commentator Sean Hannity, who said on Twitter: "This is exactly why Hwood is DYING, what a bunch of hypocrites. Sex, violence, and drivel rule hwood. Turning the channel."

Graham said: "I say, let's get behind our new President-elect and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and move forward together as a country. They've already made a lot of progress before even officially taking office, and let's pray they continue to make positive changes for the future of America."