- Pastor Mark Burns claims statue is not idol worship but a symbol of resilience and patriotism
- Statue funded by crypto investors as part of pro-Trump digital currency project
- Trump’s gold branding continues to blur politics, personality, and performance
In MAGA ministry news, a towering 22-foot gold statue of Donald Trump was recently unveiled at Trump National Doral Miami, with “honored” Black pastor Mark Burns leading the dedication ceremony.
Positioned among palm trees on the president’s South Florida golf property, the massive gold leaf sculpture depicts Trump raising his fist in the air. This is a mirror of the now infamous image from his survival of the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The statue was introduced to a crowd of supporters as both a patriotic monument and a spiritual symbol.
The Independent states that Burns, a member of Pastors for Trump and one of Trump’s vocal religious surrogates, emphasized that the display was not intended as religious idolatry.
“Let me be clear: this is not a golden calf,” Burns said on Instagram about the dedication. “This statue is a celebration of life. It is a symbol of resilience, freedom, patriotism, strength, and the willpower to keep fighting for the future of America.”
He continued,
“It also stands as a reminder of the hand of God and His protection over President Trump’s life. Time and time again, when his life was threatened, God’s mercy prevailed.”
Trump Calls In As Ceremony Frames Statue As Divine Symbol
The Independent reports that at one point in the ceremony, Burns held his phone to the microphone as Trump addressed attendees directly.
“I want to thank Mark Burns, a pastor, he’s a good pastor, he’s a good man,” Trump said by phone. “I want to thank everybody there. I know it was done from love.”
The timing of the unveiling has also sparked comparisons to pop culture. This week’s episode of Prime Video’s The Boys featured a golden statue of Homelander, played by Antony Starr, with the fictional tribute debuting just days before the real-life installation in Florida.
Eric Kripke, the show’s executive producer and showrunner, acknowledged the parallel on Instagram, sharing a meme that placed the two statues side by side and writing, “Seriously, what the f***?”
Laz Alonso, who stars in the series, also weighed in, commenting, “Someone had to have leaked our scripts to them.”
The unveiling also sparked outrage across social media, with figures like Keith Olbermann criticizing both the statue and Pastor Burns.
Pastor Mark Burns Defends Statue
On Instagram, Burns continued to boast about dedicating the statue, while emphasizing that the moment was not about idol worship.
“This statue was not created for worship. It was created as a symbol of resilience, patriotism, courage, and gratitude. It was created to honor a man whom many may disagree with, but millions of Americans believe has done extraordinary things to make this nation stronger,” he wrote.
He continued,
“People celebrate athletes, musicians, entertainers, and cultural icons while they are still alive. Michael Jordan has a statue in Chicago. Cristiano Ronaldo, Taylor Swift, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, and many others have been honored publicly in different ways. Yet Christians were not screaming “golden calf” over those moments.”
Crypto Investors And “Don Colossus” Add Another Layer
The Daily Beast reports that the statue, nicknamed “Don Colossus,” was funded by a group of cryptocurrency investors connected to the $PATRIOT memecoin.
The outlet adds that it cost about $450,000 and was commissioned as part of a broader effort to increase visibility for the pro-Trump digital currency project.
Sculptor Alan Cottrill, who created the bronze likeness, told The Daily Beast he proposed an additional $60,000 gold leaf coating after sensing Trump’s well-documented affinity for gilded aesthetics.
“They loved the idea, of course,” Cottrill said. “It’s like pitching ice water to a man dying of thirst.”
Trump’s Gold Brand Continues Beyond The Statue
According to The Daily Beast, the statue aligns with Trump’s increasingly visible embrace of gold-themed branding across his presidency, from redesign choices inside the Oval Office to gold-framed presidential displays and luxury-branded initiatives like proposed “Trump Gold Cards.”
The Doral unveiling, however, may represent one of the boldest visual manifestations yet of Trump’s image as both political figure and larger-than-life icon.
Burns called the dedication “far more than a ribbon cutting,” according to The Daily Beast, describing it instead as “a visible sign of a movement.”
Whether viewed as spectacle or symbolism, the unveiling unfortunately underscores how Trump’s brand continues to blur the line between politics, personality, and performance.