Image by Getty Images

By Sam Kestenbaum December 27, 2017

Paula White, a celebrity televangelist and spiritual advisor to President Trump, praised the administration for putting “Christ back in Christmas” and “prayer back into the White House” this year.

“Trump just hasn’t put Christ back in Christmas, but he’s also put prayer back into the White House,” White said in a Monday interview on Fox News.

“We don’t have to be afraid of the political correct police anymore. What makes America great is that we were founded on a Judeo-Christian nation,” she said. “He understands it.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

.@Paula_White on @POTUS: “His faith is such an important part of his life. It guides him, it leads him.” pic.twitter.com/eablaUc24W

— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 26, 2017

During his campaign ad into his presidency, Trump repeatedly invoked the so-called War on Christmas — a decades-old trope that stokes fears that there is an ongoing cultural assault on Christianity. This year, the president declared a victory of sorts.

People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 25, 2017

White leads a megachurch in Florida and has been associated with teaching what is known as the Prosperity Gospel. She is the chair of Trump’s evangelical advisory board, has led “laying hands” prayer sessions in the Oval Office and has a penchant for some Jewish garb and ritual.

Email Sam Kestenbaum at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

This year, we have stood together in strength and sorrow. Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount