Rev. Paula White #fundie ibtimes.com
In one of the more unexpected leaks to come out of the White House lately, a newly released video shows President Donald Trump’s spiritual adviser leading a prayer for “all Satanic pregnancies” to end in miscarriage. Unsurprisingly, this has sparked both outrage and confusion from Trump’s supporters and critics alike.
During a sermon on Jan. 5, Special Adviser to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative Paula White railed against “witchcraft” and called for “all Satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now.”
“We declare that anything that’s been conceived in satanic wombs, that it will miscarry, it will not be able to carry forth any plan of destruction, any plan of harm,” White can be heard in the short video.
Some have taken White’s words literally as calling for the termination of particularly pregnancies, an unusual act given both White and the White House’s firm stances against abortion.
White has faced backlash on Twitter over her sermon, with some Christian leaders condemning her remarks. In one case, Jesuit priest James Martin tweeted that “no pregnancies are Satanic. Every child is a gift from God.”
Others, including White herself, have said that she was speaking metaphorically, and was instead making a reference to “demonic plans” which White intended to undermine with prayer. White also said that critics of her sermon were employing “a disingenuous attempt to use words out of context for political gain.”
Although White has only been with the White House since last October, she has known Trump for nearly 20 years. Before becoming Trump’s personal pastor, White made a name for herself as an outspoken televangelist from Florida. She is a well-known advocate of the prosperity gospel, which essentially equates material and financial success with a sign of being in God’s good graces.