#UnitedStates #DC – In a March 30th video, White House Senior Advisor and ‘Televangelist’ Paula White-Cain urged her viewers to “honor God with his tithe—that’s the first tenth of your gross income” plus a freewill offering. She framed this message as a biblical principle and tied it to supporting her ministry’s work, including humanitarian and rebuilding projects in Israel. Paula highlighted past donations’ impact and encouraged giving via links to her ministry site, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, and other platforms. Paula has engaged in this sort of practice for a long time as a television evangelist with her own program, “Paula White Ministry,” where she commonly asks her followers to make donations to her to support ministry projects.
The video drew criticisms as she is believed by others to be using her status as a public official to advertise her ‘televangelism’ efforts to get people to donate to her. Many accuse her of pushing prosperity gospel (or “health and wealth” teaching), which links financial giving directly to divine blessings, favor, or breakthroughs. Critics argue this distorts core Christian doctrine by treating tithing and offerings as transactional “seeds” for personal gain rather than simple obedience or generosity. Televangelism is often attributed to scams, financial exploitation (especially towards seniors), and other controversies.
Critics to Paula’s latest video say requiring 10% of gross (pre-tax) income is burdensome, especially in a high-inflation environment, and places undue guilt on struggling families by presenting non-tithing as disobedience to God. The mention of past donations helping rebuild a village/moshav in Israel is seen by some as leveraging humanitarian aid and geopolitical support to solicit funds. Critics also argues that the video feels manipulative being sent out both during Holy Week and amidst the Iran War. Some view directing offering support toward Israel-related projects as using Christianity to advance political or foreign policy agendas amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Critics call it tone-deaf or exploitative given reports of civilian suffering, accusing her of blending faith appeals with support for a “specific foreign state during active conflict.”
Longstanding accusations that Paula uses tax-exempt ministry funds for personal/family salaries and lavish living while soliciting from followers. She’s been called a “grifter,” “false teacher,” or “charlatan” by both secular observers and some conservative Christians. This video had not stood alone in the past year since she entered into public office as an attempt to abuse her position for private gain. Paula White-Cain has continued her longstanding televangelism style—including frequent appeals for tithes, offerings, “seed” gifts, and special “sacrificial” donations—while serving as Senior Advisor to the White House Faith Office since her appointment in February 2025.
Last year, during Easter, Paula promoted “seven supernatural blessings” (including prosperity, an assigned angel, healing, and protection) in connection with $1,000+ donations during the “Passover season,” which drew significant backlash for resembling a transactional “cash-for-blessings” scheme. She has also frequently referenced her White House role in gratitude posts and videos while promoting her Paula White Ministries, books, fasts, and events. She has described 2025 as a year of “great gratitude” for the Faith Office’s impact alongside her ministry’s work.
Paula White’s role in the White House Faith Office since her appointment in February 2025 is an unpaid role. The Faith Office’s core mission is to empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better serve families and communities. At times, Paula is required to brief President Trump when needed and to collaborate with senior staff, the National Security Council, Department of Justice, and other agencies, including the Religious Liberty Commission. Paula has been long-time friends with President Trump since 2002, and she has been described as his spiritual advisor and “personal pastor,” although Trump himself has remained ambiguous about his personal religious beliefs, often claiming to be a non-denominational Christian.
Paula has described herself as a strong supporter of Israel and vehemently defended Israel in both public capacity and in her own ministry. Recent criticisms of her defence of a foreign government occurred last month when a Christian member of the Religious Liberty Commission, Carrie Prejean Boller, was removed due to her anti-Zionist beliefs. In a later interview on Tucker Carslon, Prejean Boller claimed her removal was at the behest of Paula White and the Texas Lieutenant Governor who targeted her for her anti-Zionist and Catholic beliefs for almost a year, and claimed that the Religious Liberty Commission Paula supports was set up not for the purposes of guaranteeing religious liberty, but to defend the State of Israel and Zionism.
Image: Paula White as seen in her latest video on tithing.
