Trump’s Evangelical Guru Says President Has Big ‘Faith Agenda’ Plans For 2018

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By Sam Kestenbaum January 8, 2018

Paula White, the megachurch pastor and spiritual adviser to President Trump, said the president’s evangelical council is planning to unveil a string of new “faith initiatives” in 2018.

“We thought we did some things last year, boy, wait until this year,” White told the Christian Broadcasting Network.

White told hosts David Brody and Jenna Browder that the initiatives will focus on criminal justice reform, religious liberty and and mental health care, but she did not go into further detail.

“We’ll be touching on everything from humanitarian, working of course on criminal justice reform, religious liberties, so many different aspects, mental health care, substance abuse,” White said.

White also responded to recent tweets from Trump in which the president boasted that he was “really smart” and “a very stable genius.”

“He’s great mentally,” White said.

White, a televangelist associated with what is known as the prosperity gospel — the teaching that faith in God will increase are one’s material wealth and physical health — has been acting as an adviser to Trump in recent years. She spoke at the president’s inauguration and helped organize group prayer sessions in the Oval Office.

White has also adopted some Hebrew rituals and observances at her megachurch, like observing a version of Passover and fasting for the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

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

Sam Kestenbaum is a contributing editor and former staff writer for the Forward. Before this, he worked for The New York Times and newsrooms in Sana, Ramallah and Beijing. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum and on Instagram at @skestenbaum.

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