White House spiritual advisor and megachurch pastor Paula White-Cain spoke at an Easter event on April 1, where she compared Donald Trump to Jesus Christ.
“Jesus taught so many lessons through his death, burial and resurrection. He showed us great leadership, great transformation requires great sacrifice. And Mr President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life,” Paula White-Cain, 59, stated.
She continued:
“You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. But it didn’t end there for him, and it didn’t end there for you. God always had a plan. On the third day, he rose, he defeated evil, he conquered death, hell and the grave. And because he rose, we all know that we can rise. And sir, because of his resurrection, you rose up.”
Paula White-Cain is married to singer, songwriter, and musician Jonathan Cain, best known as the keyboardist and rhythm guitarist of the San Francisco rock band, Journey.
Trump’s personal spiritual advisor addressed him during her speech and noted:
“And I believe that the Lord said to tell you this — because of his victory, you will be victorious in all you put your hands to.”
This has sparked a controversy online.
Here’s what we know about Paula White-Cain’s personal life
According to The Daily Telegraph, Paula White-Cain gave birth to musician Dean Knight’s son, Bradley, in 1985. Soon after, they tied the knot, only to divorce four years later.
In 1990, Paula White-Cain met her second husband and fellow minister, Randy White, at Damascus Church of God in Maryland, where he was an associate pastor. For the next 17 years, the couple was bound by holy matrimony, while also working together as faith leaders.
In fact, they co-founded the Without Walls International Megachurch in Florida, which was at the center of a Senate inquiry for fraud in 2007. She left the non-denominational church in 2011 after the National Enquirer reported that Paula was having an affair with married televangelist and faith healer Benny Hinn.
The publication even released a picture of the duo holding hands in Rome, Italy. However, Hinn denied the affair, saying “nothing inappropriate or morally improper” was going on between them. Subsequently, Paula White-Cain also refuted the rumors during a T.D. Jakes’ conference, claiming:
“They’re going to talk about you and write… because it sells ragtag magazines. They’re going to lie on you, but God’s going to tell you to keep your mouth shut.”
Despite their eventual divorce, Paula White-Cain continues to remain friends with the theology proponent, according to her recent interview with Larry King for CNN.
The Senior Advisor for the White House Faith Office walked down the aisle with Grammy-nominated recording artist Jonathan Cain in April 2015. It was the third marriage for both. They now reside in Apopka, Florida. At the time of their wedding, Paula White-Cain took to Facebook and wrote:
“God is sending someone FOR YOU.”
As a devout Christian and husband of a pastor, Cain, 76, also works on solo contemporary Christian music. Some of his popular songs include More Like Jesus (2019), Piano Worship (2020), and Arise (2022). Last year, he also wrote a tribute song for Charlie Kirk titled No One Else.
Jonathan Cain, whose real name is Jonathan Leonard Friga, performed the Journey song Don’t Stop Believing at a party at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in November 2022. However, his bandmate Neal Schon sent a legal letter asking him to refrain from using Journey’s songs for his solo acts on political stages.
The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee has also played music for other rock groups, including The Babys and Bad English. Cain is also a worship leader at City of Destiny, where his wife is a pastor.
The Chicago native was previously married to actress, singer, and model Tane McClure (who is the inspiration behind his 1983 song, Faithfully) and Elizabeth Yvetter Fullerton. With the second wife, Jonathan has three children, Madison and twins Liza and Weston.
Paula has yet to address the ongoing backlash.
Edited by Pallavi K