Pastor Mark Burns Defends President Donald Trump’s Past in New Yorker Interview

In a recent interview with *The New Yorker*, South Carolina-based pastor Mark Burns, who identifies as a spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, addressed the president’s alleged sexual misconduct. Burns asserted that Trump’s past actions are immaterial in the eyes of God, emphasizing divine forgiveness over human judgment. The conversation, conducted by writer Isaac Chotiner, also touched on Trump’s disputed 2020 election claims, which Burns declined to comment on directly.

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President Trump has faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, a topic that has generated extensive public debate. Burns, positioned as a religious counselor to the president, offered a theological perspective that frames such allegations as secondary to repentance and divine mercy. His remarks appear within a broader pattern of political figures seeking spiritual endorsement, though the specific role of Burns in Trump’s inner circle is not detailed in the source material.

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• Mark Burns – Pastor from South Carolina, self-described spiritual adviser to President Trump.

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• Donald Trump – Former U.S. president, subject of the alleged misconduct discussed.

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• Isaac Chotiner – Writer for *The New Yorker* who conducted the interview.

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• The New Yorker – Publication that hosted the interview.

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Burns conveyed that divine judgment supersedes legal or societal evaluation, stating that forgiveness is available if the president repents. He emphasized that “the president is not grabbing anybody or talking about grabbing anybody from their private parts today,” suggesting current behavior is irrelevant to past allegations. When asked about Trump’s disputed 2020 election claims, Burns avoided a definitive position, redirecting focus to the broader theme of repentance and forgiveness.

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Chotiner challenged Burns’ framing, questioning whether it is accurate to claim God “works in mysterious ways” to use Trump despite alleged misconduct. He introduced a “sliding scale” analogy, implying that not all transgressions are equally weighted and prompting Burns to acknowledge that personal sins vary in severity. Chotiner’s remarks highlight a tension between theological absolution and public accountability.

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• “God is a God of love. So, having said that, it doesn’t matter what President Trump has done in his past.” — Mark Burns, Pastor

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• “Ultimately, God is our judge, not people,” — Mark Burns, Pastor

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• “God is a God of love.” — Mark Burns, Pastor

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• “I mean, Isaac, you have things in your closet that you pray never show up on CNN. There are things that you’ve done that you pray to God never become a New Yorker story.” — Mark Burns, Pastor

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• “What does matter is this: We’re talking about the fact that it doesn’t matter what President Trump has done in his past, as long as he’s repented and asked for forgiveness,” — Mark Burns, Pastor

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• “but I haven’t grabbed women against their will and bragged about it, or posted a video of the Obamas as apes. So maybe there’s a sliding scale of what people do and how we should judge them?” — Isaac Chotiner, Writer

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The interview provides only Burns’ perspective; no corroborating statements from other religious leaders or Trump’s administration are presented. Burns’ refusal to address the 2020 election claim leaves his stance on that specific controversy ambiguous. Additionally, the extent of his advisory role to the president remains undefined.

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Burns’ comments have attracted media attention, suggesting further coverage of the intersection between political leadership and religious counsel. Observers may monitor how the president’s supporters and critics respond to the theological framing of alleged misconduct, and whether additional spiritual advisers will publicly address similar issues.

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