The failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life in 2024 and his political woes have been compared to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
The comment was made by Paula White-Cain, a senior advisor to the White House Faith Office, during prayers at an Easter lunch event. She also described Trump as the “greatest champion of faith” ever seen in a president.
White, who’s also a pastor said: “Mr President, no-one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life. 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.”
She continued: “Sir, because of his resurrection, you rose up, you were victorious. And I believe that the Lord said to tell you this, because of his victory, you will be victorious in all you put your hand to”.
The prayer session was attended by other clergy including Rev Franklin Graham who referenced the Iran war during his prayer.
He described the Iranian regime as a “wicked” government which wants “to kill every Jew and destroy them with an atomic fire, but said God has raised up President Trump. "You've raised him up for such a time as this. And Father, we pray that you'll give him victory," he said.
During the White House event, another pastor described the uncertainty in the world as a “spiritual battle” rather than a political one, adding that it’s a “battle between light and darkness, a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, and we know you're going to prevail.”
This comes after Pope Leo urged Mr Trump to look for an "off-ramp" to end the Iran war on Tuesday.
"I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war," the pope told journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. "Hopefully he's looking for an off-ramp....Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence."
Pope Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, rarely makes direct appeals to national leaders but he has been stepping up criticism of the Iran war in recent weeks.
On Sunday, the he said that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have "hands full of blood".
The Iran conflict, started by joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on 28th February, has spread across the region, killing thousands, disrupting energy supplies and threatening to send the global economy into a tailspin.
(Reuters contributed to this report)