The latest addition to an ever-changing Trump White House comes in the form of Paula White, a televangelist based in Florida and personal pastor to the president, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Like Trump, White is a controversial figure because she is part of the so-called “prosperity gospel” movement, which preaches that God blesses those who are of faith with gifts such as wealth. Some Christians believe that the prosperity gospel is heresy.
White, who has known Trump since 2002, will work as an adviser to the Faith and Opportunity Initiative in the Office of Public Liaison, the part of the White House responsible for overseeing outreach to groups and coalitions organizing key parts of the president’s base. Trump established the initiative last year by executive order and showed commitment to the subject when he discussed religious freedoms at the UN in September. The initiative itself aims to give religious groups a louder voice in government programs dedicated to issues like protecting religious liberty and battling poverty. White’s appointment is seen by some as an effort to appease the Trump base, as the embattled president fights for a second term and against an impeachment probe. According to most polls, including one conducted by the right-leaning Fox News, the majority of Americans support the trial.
PUBLISHED BY JERUSALEM POST |