A White House Easter lunch meant to honor religious leaders and celebrate Holy Week has caused a lot of anger after a well-known gospel preacher directly compared President Donald Trump to Jesus Christ. This led to accusations of blasphemy and turned the event into political theater.
The incident happened on Wednesday, April 1, during the gathering in the East Room, where more than 100 faith leaders joined Trump and members of his administration for lunch and prayers.
Paula White, a longtime spiritual advisor to Trump and head of the White House Faith Office, stepped to the podium and delivered remarks that quickly went viral.
“You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused,” White told Trump, according to video footage shared widely on social media. “It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. You will be victorious in all you put your hand to because God is using you.”
The comments referenced Trump’s past legal struggles and what supporters call political persecution. White, known for her prosperity gospel teachings, has advised Trump for years and played a key role in faith outreach during his campaigns and now in his second term.
The video of the moment spread rapidly after Acyn, a digital editor at MeidasTouch, who regularly shares political clips, posted it.
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Within hours, it racked up hundreds of thousands of views and drew sharp reactions from critics who called the comparison inappropriate and offensive, especially on a day tied to Christian observances of Jesus’ suffering and resurrection.
Many on social media labeled it cult-like behavior. “They’re comparing Trump to Jesus now. That’s not faith, that’s a cult,” one user stated.
Others mocked the idea, with comments like “Let’s nail Trump on a cross for a few days and see what happens” or simply “blasphemy on display.”
Some critics pointed to White’s background in the prosperity gospel, in which she has come under scrutiny for fundraising and teachings that link faith to financial blessings.
They argued that framing a president’s legal troubles as parallel to Christ’s crucifixion distorts core Christian beliefs about Jesus’ unique sacrifice for humanity’s sins.
Defenders, on the other hand, said White was giving encouragement rooted in scripture during a tough time for the president.
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They said that Trump has been charged with crimes and tried many times, which his supporters have long called “witch hunts” by his political enemies. For them, the comments showed how God is involved in leadership and strength.
The Easter lunch was part of a larger effort by the White House to celebrate Holy Week with prayer services, proclamations, and gatherings with people like Rev. Franklin Graham and Pastor Jentezen Franklin.
Administration officials described it as a way to bring faith back to the forefront of national life, with Trump himself emphasizing religious freedom and Christian values in recent speeches.
Trump has maintained strong support among evangelical Christians, many of whom see his survival of assassination attempts and return to the presidency as evidence of divine protection.
White prays for President Trump.
White has previously prayed over Trump in the Oval Office and spoken in tongues during faith events, actions that energize her followers but draw eye-rolls from skeptics.
The backlash gives a clear picture of the deep divisions in how Americans view the intersection of faith and politics.
For some, the White House has become a place where Christianity feels welcome again after years of what they call secular overreach.
For others, events like this blur the line between church and state, turning religious language into a tool for partisan loyalty.
While the First Amendment protects religious expression, mixing it so explicitly with praise for a sitting president elicits concerns about propriety in an official government setting.
The controversy comes at a time when the Trump administration has elevated the roles of faith leaders, including through the White House Faith Office.
White has not issued a remark addressing the uproar as of late Wednesday.
