Published on February 7, 2025
This presidential action announces the establishment of a new White House Faith Office, with three key appointments: Paula White-Cain as Senior Advisor, Jennifer Korn as Deputy Assistant to the President and Faith Director, and Jackson Lane as Deputy Director of Faith Engagement. The appointments notably include individuals with previous connections to Trump's administration and campaign, with White-Cain and Korn returning to White House roles they previously held.
The creation of this office and its staffing choices suggest an attempt to solidify political influence through religious channels, particularly given the appointees' strong ties to Trump's previous administration and campaign activities. White-Cain's extensive religious network across 200 countries, combined with Korn's experience in minority outreach, indicates a strategic move to leverage religious institutions for political mobilization rather than purely faith-based initiatives. The vague description of the office's actual functions and responsibilities, coupled with the emphasis on the appointees' political backgrounds rather than their theological expertise, suggests this may serve more as a campaign tool than a genuine religious advisory body.
While presented as an initiative to strengthen faith-based engagement in government, this action appears designed to establish a formal structure for religious-political mobilization ahead of future electoral contests. The public should carefully consider whether this office truly serves religious interests or primarily functions as a mechanism for building political influence through religious networks.
President Donald Trump announced appointments to the White House Faith Office.Pastor Paula White-Cain will return to the White House as a Special Government Employee and Senior Advisor of the newly created White House Faith Office. In the last 40 years, White-Cain has expanded her influence globally in almost 200 countries, ministering, fighting for religious freedom and humanitarian rights, and advocating for the voiceless. She is the founder and president of Paula White Ministries and National Faith Advisory Board. She is president of City Destiny and the overseer and a teaching pastor at StoryLife Church in Florida. Paula previously served an advisor to President Trump in the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative. She also served as chairwoman of the Evangelical Advisory Board (2016). Paula is a celebrated New York Times best-selling author, teacher, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, mentor, popular TV personality, and spirit-led preacher of God’s Word. She is married to legendary singer/songwriter Jonathan Cain of the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Journey.Jennifer S. Korn will return to the White House as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Faith Director of the newly created White House Faith Office after serving as Senior Advisor of National Faith Advisory Board, America’s largest faith coalition. Korn previously served President Trump all four years as Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison and during the 2016 Presidential Election leading Latino, Minority, Faith, Veteran and other coalition engagement for historic gains among these communities. Korn has served two decades working to elect officials and implement policies at the national and state levels to improve the lives of these important constituencies. Korn is also a proud military spouse. Jackson Lane will join the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Faith Engagement after serving as the Deputy Director of Faith Outreach for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign.