{"id":2600786,"date":"2026-05-09T13:37:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T17:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pastor-defends-trump-statue-not-a-golden-calf\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T13:38:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T17:38:36","slug":"pastor-defends-trump-statue-not-a-golden-calf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pastor-defends-trump-statue-not-a-golden-calf\/","title":{"rendered":"Pastor defends Trump statue: &#8216;Not a golden calf&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpastor-defends-trump-statue-not-a-golden-calf%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2600786&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A 22-foot <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/academy-museum-of-motion-pictures-focuses-on-apologizing-for-films-rather-than-celebrating-them\/\" title=\"Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures Focuses On Apologizing For Films Rather Than Celebrating Them\">gold statue<\/a> of President Donald Trump was unveiled at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, but it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/it-was-real-friend-and-former-employee-reveals-rush-limbaughs-journey-to-faith\/\" title=\"\u2018It Was Real\u2019: Friend And Former Employee Reveals Rush Limbaugh\u2019s Journey To Faith\">drew backlash<\/a> for resembling the \u201cgolden calf\u201d from the biblical story in Exodus. Pastor Mark Burns, who led the dedication ceremony, defended the statue, saying it is not worship of Trump but rather an honor meant to celebrate resilience, freedom, patriotism, courage, and the will to keep fighting.<\/p>\n<p>The statue reflects Trump\u2019s fist-in-the-air pose from his assassination attempt in butler, Pennsylvania, and includes a plaque reading \u201cFIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!\u201d with a dedication to Trump. Trump also praised the statue in posts on Truth Social and during the event. Burns, a televangelist and Trump associate, previously received Trump\u2019s endorsement in 2024 for a South Carolina congressional run, though he lost in the GOP primary runoff.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>A new gold statue of President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> has received backlash over its appearance as a type of false idol after it was unveiled on Wednesday at Trump National Doral Golf Club in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/miami\/\">Miami<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\">Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Pastor Mark Burns, who hosted the dedication ceremony, defended the statue in response to critics.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4561864\/pastor-defends-trump-statue-not-golden-calf\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Pastor defends Trump statue: \u2018Not a golden calf\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4560619\/there-is-not-a-maga-civil-war-joe-concha\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>There isn\u2019t a \u2018MAGA Civil War\u2019: Joe Concha<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4558650\/these-aint-your-daddys-donkeys-joe-concha\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>\u2018These ain\u2019t your daddy\u2019s donkeys\u2019: Joe Concha talks Democrats<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>\u201cLet me say this plainly: this is not a golden calf. We worship the Lord <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jesus\/\">Jesus Christ<\/a> and Him alone,\u201d Burns <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/pastormarkburns\/status\/2052237132454912267\">said on X<\/a> Thursday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today at Trump National Doral Miami, history was made.<\/p>\n<p>I was deeply honored to lead the dedication event for President Donald J. Trump and the unveiling of the 22-foot statue created in his honor.<\/p>\n<p>This was far more than a ribbon cutting. It was a moment of gratitude, honor, and\u2026 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sa78VeHWvM\">pic.twitter.com\/sa78VeHWvM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Pastor Mark Burns (@pastormarkburns) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pastormarkburns\/status\/2052237132454912267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >golden statue drew criticism<\/a> over its similarities to the golden calf in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/the-bible\/\">the Bible<\/a>. The golden calf famously enraged Moses, showing that the Israelites had turned away from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/god\/page\/2\/\">God<\/a> and were unfaithful in Moses\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n<p>The 22-foot-tall statue showed Trump in the same pose he made after his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3081339\/trump-confirms-he-was-shot-in-the-ear-i-knew-immediately-that-something-was-wrong\/\">assassination attempt in Butler<\/a>, Pennsylvania, with his fist in the air. It sat atop a white pedestal, surrounded by palm trees, and included a plaque that said, \u201cFIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!\u201d and under it, \u201cIn honor of President Donald J. Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DYAsJPICUBQ\/\">Trump called Burns<\/a> during the event to thank him, and said, \u201cI\u2019ve known him a long time, he\u2019s been with me since the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/116533234584336287\">posted a photo<\/a> of the statue on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/truth-social\/\">Truth Social<\/a> where he called it, \u201cThe Real Deal \u2013 GOLD \u2013 At Doral in Miami.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis statue is not about worship. It is about honor,\u201d Burns said. \u201cIt is a celebration of life and a powerful symbol of resilience, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/freedom\/\">freedom<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/patriotism\/\">patriotism<\/a>, courage, and the will to keep fighting for America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The statue was also seen draped in a blue fabric.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4532744\/trump-triumphal-arch-approved-america-250\/\"><strong>FEDERAL AGENCY APPROVES TRUMP\u2019S PLAN FOR TRIUMPHAL ARCH AHEAD OF AMERICA 250<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou may dislike President Trump. That is your choice. But you are in gross error if you think for one second that I worship this magnificent statue or anything made by human hands,\u201d Burns said in a similar <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pastormarkburns\/p\/DYG4GyXmJsT\/\">post on Instagram<\/a> Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Burns is a televangelist and friends with Trump. He was endorsed by the president in 2024 during his run for Congress in South Carolina\u2019s 3rd Congressional District; however, he lost to his opponent Sheri Biggs, a nurse practitioner, in the GOP primary runoff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Trump gold statue sparks backlash; Pastor Mark Burns defends it<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4226,"featured_media":2600787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26128602474059.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[14117,5894,55141,7457,3634],"class_list":["post-2600786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-pastor","tag-politics","tag-religious-commentary","tag-statue","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26128602474059.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2600786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2600786"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2600786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2600790,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2600786\/revisions\/2600790"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2600787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2600786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2600786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2600786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}