Pastor Mark Burns is one of Donald Trump’s most trusted surrogates. He is a mainstay on TV advocating for the Donald. It is likely that stint is over.
Pastor Mark Burns, Trump’s pastor
Donald Trump prides himself on being able to hire the right people for the job. It turns out his best surrogate; Pastor Mark Burns is a fraud. He lied about his education and military service. What’s next?
CNN reported the following.
A top Donald Trump surrogate admitted to falsifying some of his professional accomplishments after a contentious confrontation with CNN anchor Victor Blackwell. South Carolina preacher Mark Burns, who regularly introduces Trump at his campaign events, had listed on his church’s website that he had a Bachelor of Science degree and served six years in the Army Reserve.
Burns, however, was never in the Army Reserve. He was in the South Carolina National Guard, from which he was discharged in 2008, CNN found. As far as a Bachelor’s degree, North Greenville University told CNN he only attended the school for one semester. Burns admitted that he did not finish his degree when CNN asked him about it. When CNN confronted Burns about the various professional and social exaggerations he had featured on his biography, Burns first said the page had “obviously” been either “manipulated or either hacked or added.”
Pastor Mark Burns released the following statement on Twitter.
STATEMENT FROM PASTOR MARK BURNS
“As a young man starting my church in Greenville, South Carolina, I overstated several details of my biography because I was worried I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a new pastor. This was wrong, I wasn’t truthful then and I have to take full responsibility for my actions. Since that time I should have taken steps to correct any misrepresentations of my background. We all make mistakes, and I hope that the measure of my character and the quality of my works speak for what kind of person I am.
I do also want to set the record straight about why this attack is happening – because I am a black man supporting Donald Trump for President. For too long, African-American votes have been taken for granted by Democratic politicians, and enough is enough. It’s a shame that the political insiders and the media choose to attack me because I’m not going to stay silent about Hillary Clinton’s pandering to our community. Instead, I’m going to tell people that there is another option – an option that represents a positive vision that will unify our country. That’s why I have and will continue to tirelessly support Mr. Trump.” – Pastor Mark Burns
Time called this fraud Trump’s pastor. They did a complete expose on the pastor spending two days with Burns and his family.
Pastor Burns could have made it easy for himself. He could have simply purchased his degree from Trump University and conned his followers for the tuition. It would have made Trump happy, and himself whole.