An evangelical pastor and spiritual adviser to Donald Trump is defending a 22-foot golden statue of the president against criticism that it promotes false idol worship.
“It represents the miracle of God, that’s what it represents,” Pastor Mark Burns, who was reportedly instrumental in getting the statue erected, told James Hanson on LBC.
On Wednesday, Burns led the ceremony that unveiled the giant gold‑leafed effigy, dubbed the “Don Colossus,” at the Trump National Doral golf course in Miami.
Later, Burns took to X to declare that “history was made” and insisted the statue was “not a golden calf,” instead describing it as a symbol of “resilience, freedom, patriotism, courage, and the will to keep fighting for America.”
The pastor repeated the same sentiment on Sunday, telling Hanson that it was “blasphemy” to compare the statue to the golden calf from the Book of Exodus—a biblical symbol of idolatry and turning away from God.
“I don’t know anybody who worships Donald Trump as a God,” Burns said.
The gold statue depicts Trump raising his right fist, echoing the moment he emerged after an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in 2024—a point Burns referenced when he told Hanson: “Remember he almost died.”
The 22-foot structure reportedly cost $450,000 and was funded by a group of crypto investors, who commissioned the Trump likeness as part of a promotional campaign for their memecoin, $PATRIOT. Burns said it was intended to “symbolize their love for Donald Trump.”
Yet despite Burns repeatedly claiming the project was funded by 6,000 patriots who “came together to raise money to celebrate who many believe—and I believe—is the greatest president of our lifetime,” the sculptor behind the piece told the Miami New Times that he had to keep it hidden while late payments were being made and that the group behind it had to pay extra over copyright infringement issues.
“This was a clusterf--k,” the sculptor, Alan Cottrill, told the New Times about working on the project.
Cottrill also told The Daily Beast that selling the gold-leaf finish, worth an extra $60,000 to the “crypto boys,” was “like pitching ice water to a man dying of thirst.”
The New York Times reported that Burns told the coin’s developers in November: “The president just asked me for pictures of his statue in gold leaf.” Trump reportedly praised the design, saying the gold finish “LOOKS FANTASTIC.”
During Wednesday’s unveiling ceremony, the 79-year-old president—whose son Eric Trump has sought to distance the family from the project—phoned in to thank those behind it, singling out the “good man” Burns and boasting that “everybody is taking pictures of it.”
The president, known for his fondness for gold and slapping his name on historic buildings, shared further praise for the project on Truth Social on Thursday, writing: “The Real Deal - GOLD - At Doral in Miami. Put there by great American Patriots!!!”
Still, when asked by Hanson whether Trump was displaying a “sin of pride,” Burns avoided directly answering the question.
“Whether you like President Donald Trump or dislike President Trump, you cannot argue that this man has done extraordinary things,” Burns told Hanson.
“Millions of Americans here believe that these extraordinary things have made our country stronger, safer, more prosperous,” he added.
