Evangelical Pastors Liken President Trump to Biblical Figures at White House Event

Paula White-Cain speaks during a White House Easter event on Wednesday. Photo: Forbes/YouTube

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, televangelist Paula White-Cain made remarks at a White House Easter luncheon comparing President Donald Trump to Jesus Christ, with pastor Franklin Graham adding that God has "raised up President Trump" to deal with the Iranians just as Esther was raised up against the Persians in the Old Testament.

Speaking before religious leaders, White-Cain told Trump that "no one has paid the price like you have paid the price" and suggested his political journey mirrored Christ’s suffering and resurrection. “You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused… it’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us,” she said, adding, “because He was victorious, you were victorious.”

"I believe that the Lord said to tell you this: because of His victory, you will be victorious in all you put your hand to," White-Cain stated.

White-Cain, a longtime spiritual advisor to Trump and leader of the White House Faith Office, has previously drawn scrutiny for statements linking support for Trump with religious conviction, most notably when she proclaimed, "To say no to President Trump would be saying no to God."

The comments, which were initially posted and later removed by the White House, were followed by another comparison by evangelical pastor Franklin Graham. 

Saying that the ancient Persians wanted to kill every Jew before God raised up Esther, Graham stated that the Iranians today want to destroy the Jews "with an atomic fire."

"But you have raised up President Trump," Graham continued. "You've raised him for such a time as this. Father, we pray that You will give him victory."

He also prayed for the people of Iran who want freedom, "to be set free from these Islamic lunatics." Later Wednesday evening, Trump said that if Iran does not negotiate a peace deal, the U.S. will "bring them back to the stone ages where they belong." This was later parroted by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

The statements made at the White House event come alongside renewed attention to Trump’s personal faith. Graham recently urged the president in a private letter to reflect on salvation, emphasizing that “the only way to Heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ,” not personal achievement or political success.

Following remarks to the media in which the president expressed doubt that he was going to heaven, Graham wrote to him saying that "it is an important issue to know for certain that your soul is secure and will spend eternity in the presence of God."

Graham told Trump that if he believes in his heart that Jesus came to earth, died on the cross for our sins, and was resurrected on the third day, "you ARE heaven bound."

Previously, the UOJ reported that White-Cain had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "I'm just so honored to be sitting up here with, I believe, God's chosen for everyone."

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