Televangelist Mark Burns defends golden Trump statue

The South Carolina evangelical continued to push back on critics this week and once again denied any hint of idolatry tied to a golden statue of President Donald Trump that Burns helped dedicate last week. Burns faced heavy criticism from Christians who took issue with the gilded 22-foot statue of the president, likening it to the golden calf the Israelites fashioned and worshipped in the Old Testament book of Exodus.

What was Burns’ defense? There’s a big difference between worshipping and honoring, and Trump’s statue is about remembrance, gratitude, and patriotism, according to Burns’ Sunday statement. From Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King Jr., there are statues across America honoring presidents, generals, civil rights leaders, and cultural icons, he wrote. While Christians worship only God alone, Scripture does call for honor to be given where honor is due, Burns added.

The statue depicted Trump holding his fist above his head, fashioned after the physical stance he took immediately after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally in July 2024. Burns spoke at the Wednesday ribbon-cutting at Trump’s National Doral Miami golf course. Burns released a statement on Tuesday, referring to the monument as more than a statue, but rather a symbol of loyalty from the patriot community. Burns has been known as an ardent Trump supporter since the president’s 2016 run. Burns ran failed campaigns for the House of Representatives in 2018, 2022, and 2024.

Burns released several statements before Sunday in defense of the statue, each time directly denying the golden calf criticisms. His Thursday statement included specific Scripture passages against making false accusations or giving Satan a foothold, something he suggested his critics were doing.