Trump fires up religious critics with job for televangelist

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ascension of Paula White as an official member of Donald Trump’s White House highlights how closely the president is relying on his evangelical Christian inner circle as he fights an impeachment probe during his reelection bid.

White’s hiring also gives liberal evangelicals a new opening to challenge his administration’s mingling of religion and policymaking.

The televangelist has sparked division over her association with the so-called “prosperity gospel,” an assertion that God rewards believers with personal and financial success. White will be an adviser to Trump’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative, according to a White House official.

White was the subject of a GOP investigation into her finances. That profile makes her a compelling symbol for liberal Christians appealing to religious Americans who do not align with Trump’s broader agenda.