Paula White’s religious grift: exploiting faith for power and profit

When a government official uses their position to push religious beliefs, that’s a church-state violation. When they use it to extract money from vulnerable people in exchange for “supernatural blessings,” that’s a full-blown scam. Enter Paula White, Donald Trump’s White House faith adviser, who continues to exploit her religious influence and government position to enrich herself, all under the guise of spiritual guidance.

White, a self-proclaimed televangelist and prosperity gospel preacher, has pushed several egregious “pay-to-pray” schemes in the past few months. Now, she’s urging followers to send her $1,000 for Easter — what she calls the “Passover Season,” in exchange for “seven supernatural blessings” from God. Yes, White claims that those who donate will receive divine favors, including financial breakthroughs, an assigned angel, healing and even God “going after your enemies.” That’s right. If you shell out a grand to give a “Passover offering to the house of the Lord,” she assures you that God will become your personal debt collector and avenger.

This is not a new tactic for White. She has built an empire by manipulating believers into thinking that faith is transactional and prosperity can be purchased. But what makes this particularly egregious is that White is not just another televangelist running her usual racket — she is an official adviser to the President of the United States.

As Trump’s senior adviser in his reconstituted “White House Faith Office,” White has direct access to some of the most powerful people in government. She is not using that position to promote true religious freedom or support people of all faiths and none, but to line her ministry’s pockets.

When public officials blur the line between church and state — especially for personal gain — it undermines both democracy and religious freedom.

White’s brand of prosperity gospel theology is particularly dangerous. It preys on the desperate, the sick, and the financially struggling — convincing them that giving their last dollars to a millionaire preacher will somehow solve their problems. Instead of offering real assistance or resources, she peddles false hope in exchange for cash, reinforcing the cruel notion that if you’re not wealthy, it must be because you haven’t given enough money to her ministry.

This is spiritual exploitation at its worst, and yet, her influence in political circles has allowed her grift to continue unchecked.

At the Freedom From Religion Foundation, we fight to keep the government free from religious manipulation, ensuring that public officials don’t use their roles to promote religion — let alone profit from it. Paula White’s actions demonstrate precisely why we need a strong wall between state and church.

Elected officials and their advisors should serve the public, not scam them. White’s tenure as a government-backed religious figure is a stark warning of what happens when faith is weaponized for personal and political gain. It’s time to expose these fraudulent “faith leaders”for what they are — con artists using religion as a tool for profit, power, and influence.

Religious belief should be a personal choice, not a government-backed racket. And no one — especially not a White House official — should be promising miracles for money.