A group of religious leaders dedicated a twenty-two-foot golden statue to President Donald Trump last week at the Trump National Doral Miami golf club, and Trump phoned into the ceremony to call it “beautiful.” The display was presided over by Pastor Mark Burns, who later moved to distance himself from accusations that the event amounted to idol worship.
The statue’s unveiling was more than a political showpiece. It was also tied to a group of cryptocurrency enthusiasts who support Trump and used the creation of the image to help sell a meme coin called $PATRIOT. That link gave the celebration a second purpose: not just praise, but promotion.
Burns said Trump had originally been expected to attend in person, but that plans changed after criticism over an A.I.-generated image of Trump depicted as Jesus Christ. That image drew backlash before the ceremony, and Burns said Trump’s in-person appearance was dropped after the controversy intensified. The pastor later took to social media and strongly denied that the statue represented idol worship.
Burns is the senior pastor at the Harvest Praise & Worship Center in Easley, South Carolina, and the founder of the internationally broadcast NOW evangelical television network. His role gave the ceremony a religious frame, even as the statue itself sat inside a Trump property and the backing came partly from digital-asset supporters trying to turn attention into sales.
The result is a rare blend of devotion, branding and commerce around Trump Gold Statue, with faith leaders and crypto promoters attached to the same spectacle. What remains clear is that Trump welcomed the attention, even from afar, while Burns rushed to blunt the criticism that followed. The statue was dedicated. The coin was sold. And the argument over what the display meant was already underway.
