This is blasphemy’: Trump’s spiritual advisor stuns with clip comparing president to God

Journalist Wajahat Ali sharply criticised Donald Trump after an old video resurfaced showing Paula White, Trump’s longtime spiritual adviser, making comments that compared loyalty to Trump with loyalty to God.

In the video, White is heard saying that refusing President Trump would be the same as refusing God. The remarks were made during an appearance on PBS NewsHour in late 2019, just one day after Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for the first time. At the time, White insisted she would never turn her back on Trump, framing her support in explicitly religious terms that many later found alarming.

Ali reacted strongly when the clip began circulating again online. In a blunt social media post, he described White’s words as blasphemy, arguing that equating any political leader with God crosses a dangerous moral and religious line. He said such language turns politics into something close to worship and risks manipulating faith for political power.

White’s relationship with Trump goes back many years. She was a key religious supporter during his 2016 campaign, serving as the head of his evangelical advisory board and helping him connect with conservative Christian voters. She later played a visible role in Trump’s presidency, including delivering a prayer at his inauguration in 2017, a moment that symbolised how closely faith and politics had become intertwined in his administration.

Earlier this year, Trump went on to create the White House Faith Office, a body seen as a modern version of the faith-based initiatives first introduced under President George W. Bush. Trump chose White to lead the office, a decision that immediately reignited criticism and concern among religious leaders and commentators who question her theology and public statements.

White has long been a controversial figure within Christian circles. In 2020, she faced widespread backlash after praying against what she described as “satanic pregnancies,” language that many people found extreme and deeply unsettling. Critics accused her of promoting fear-based beliefs and misusing religious language in ways that harm vulnerable people.

She is also known for promoting prosperity theology, a belief system that teaches that wealth, success, and good health are signs of God’s favour. This idea has been heavily criticised by many Christians, who argue it exploits faith by suggesting that poverty or hardship is a spiritual failure rather than a social or economic issue.

The resurfaced video, shared by NowThis Impact, also includes other striking claims from White. In one clip taken from a 2019 sermon, she declares that wherever she stands becomes holy ground. She says that when she walks on the White House grounds, God is walking there too, and that she has the authority to declare the area holy simply because she is present.

These comments have renewed debate over the role of religion in American politics and whether spiritual language is being pushed too far to defend political loyalty. For critics like Ali, the issue is not just about Trump or White as individuals, but about the broader danger of blending faith and power in a way that places political leaders beyond criticism or accountability.