Donald Trump’s personal spiritual adviser has sparked backlash after comparing the billionaire president’s life to that of Jesus Christ’s, during an Easter lunch event at the White House.
Paula White‑Cain, a televangelist who has served as Trump’s spiritual adviser across both his presidencies, used her Wednesday address to draw parallels between the legal battles and assassination attempts he has faced and the trials endured by Christ.
With the president standing behind her, and to whom she turned to address personally, White-Cain said: “Jesus taught so many lessons through his death, burial and resurrection. He showed us great leadership, great transformation requires great sacrifice.
“And Mr President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life.
“You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our lord and savior showed us,” she said.
“But it didn’t end there for him, and it didn’t end there for you,” she said.
“God always had a plan: On the third day, he rose, he defeated evil, he conquered death, hell and the grave. And because he rose, we all know that we can rise. And sir, because of his resurrection, you rose up,” she added.
“Because he was victorious, you are victorious. And I believe that the Lord said to tell you this: because of his victory, you will be victorious in all you put your hands to,” she said, finishing to applause.
The president responded by smiling and said “thank you”.
However, the comparison has been branded “insanity” on social media.
Catholic theologian Rich Raho posted on X: “Blasphemous. It’s stunning to see a US Bishop standing right there on the stage while Paula White compares Trump to Jesus Christ.”
Another poster, Syed Zada added: “If every leader who faced backlash started claiming a messianic arc, history would look like a Sunday school parody. Faith is sacred. Turning it into a campaign prop at a White House lunch isn’t divine. It’s theatrical.”
“As a Catholic, I find this woman completely sacrilegious and offensive on every possible level,” another X user said.
“Freaks, liars, charlatans, grifters, criminals – anything but Christians. All of them,” added political strategist Jeff Timmer.
White-Cain was first officially appointed to the White House in 2019 as a religious advisor under the Office of Public Liaison, but has reportedly been in contact with Donald Trump since 2002, after he rang her having seen her on TV.
She has become a key part of the Trump administration’s efforts to retain evangelical votes, and was also selected to speak at the president’s inauguration in 2017.
However, she has routinely been at the centre of controversies. In 2020, she delivered a sermon calling on Jesus Christ to “command all satanic pregnancies to miscarry”, and has also previously declared the White House is “holy ground”, and also that “to say no to President Trump would be saying no to God.”
Last month she urged her followers to donate “the first tenth of your gross income” to support her ministry and its causes, including funding projects in Israel.
