Who is Paula White-Cain?

Controversial televangelist Paula White-Cain is a long-standing friend of Donald Trump. But her appointment to the White House Faith Office has garnered criticism from across the political and religious spectrum. Stephanie Addenbrooke Bean takes a closer look

Prior to her recent involvement in politics, Paula White-Cain (often referred to simply as Paula White) was best known as a televangelist. After a troubled childhood marked by abuse, White-Cain became a Christian in her teenage years. With her second husband, Randy White, she founded The Tampa Christian Center, which later became Without Walls International Church, a multisite megachurch that eventually went into insolvency in 2014. By this time, White was senior pastor at New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Florida. Paula White ministries launched in 2001 and by 2006, her show Paula White Today appeared on nine television networks.

There is a long-documented history between White and the reinstated president, making her appointment to the post somewhat foreseeable. He apperared on her TV show several times, and it has even been suggested that she led Trump to faith, although this has not been claimed by the pair themselves.