MAGA pastor shrugs off Trump’s SA bragging, says ‘it doesn’t matter’ because God forgives and so do voters
Theological spinmeister returns.
MAGA pastor Mark Burns just made it clear he doesn’t think Donald Trump’s history of grabbing women against their will is a big deal – because God forgives, and so do voters. In a May 12, 2026, interview, Burns, who’s reportedly a spiritual adviser to Trump, told The New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner that “it doesn’t matter” what the president has done in his past.
When pressed on Trump’s own words about assaulting women, Burns doubled down, arguing that God is the ultimate judge, not people, and that voters have already spoken by electing him twice. The exchange got heated fast. According to Mediaite, Chotiner pushed back, pointing out that not everyone has “grabbed women against their will and bragged about it” or posted racist content, like a video depicting the Obamas as apes.
Burns didn’t flinch. Instead, he leaned into a theological argument, comparing sins like gluttony and murder to make his point. “In the eyes of God, who is our ultimate judge, God is a God of forgiveness,” he said. “So, having said that, it doesn’t matter what President Trump has done in his past.” It’s a stance that’s likely to spark debate, especially since Burns himself has been vocal about other controversies tied to Trump’s online presence.
Burns has consistently defended Trump’s misdeeds
This isn’t the first time Burns has had to clean up after one of Trump’s social media messes.
Earlier this year, Trump shared a video on Truth Social that featured Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, set to The Lion Sleeps Tonight, alongside baseless claims about voter fraud. Burns quickly distanced Trump from the post, calling it the work of a “rogue employee” and insisting the president had no idea it was in the video.
“The President assured me clearly and unequivocally that he did not post it,” Burns said, according to Reality Tea. He went on to condemn the imagery as racist and unacceptable, calling for the staffer responsible to be fired immediately. It was a sharp contrast to Trump’s own response. The President later told reporters he “didn’t see” the offending part of the video and refused to apologize.
But Burns’ handling of the fallout didn’t stop there. He revealed that Trump’s private reaction to the controversy was unusual. According to Burns, Trump apologized, not to Black people, but to apes. “The President, in his wonderful, colorful personality, responded to that in a way that I think only Donald Trump could respond,” Burns said. “And he apologized to the apes because we love the apes.”
The apology, Burns explained, was for “being compared to the Obamas because the policies of the Obamas were not good for America.” Burns even joined in, laughing as he said, “I too want to apologize to the apes for being compared to the Obamas, not to Black people, but the apes themselves.”
The whole thing happened during Black History Month
This only added to the backlash. Burns admitted he was frustrated by the timing, calling it a “bad look” even if the staffer didn’t intentionally post the racist imagery. The video, which also included false claims about the 2020 election, was deleted after widespread condemnation. But the damage was done and Burns’ attempts to spin it as a staffing error didn’t exactly smooth things over.
His latest comments about Trump’s past behavior with women are likely to reignite the same tensions. What’s striking about Burns’ argument is how neatly it aligns with a broader strategy among some of Trump’s supporters: downplaying controversies by framing them as either forgiven by God or irrelevant because voters have already moved on.
It’s a playbook that’s worked before, especially in circles where loyalty to Trump is seen as more important than accountability. But it’s also a risky one, particularly when the controversies in question involve allegations of assault or racist imagery. Burns’ insistence that “it doesn’t matter” might resonate with some of Trump’s base, but it’s hard to imagine it’ll win over anyone outside that bubble.
For Burns, the message is clear: if God forgives, and voters keep re-electing him, then the rest is just noise. Whether that’s a sustainable stance, or one that can weather future scandals, remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: Burns isn’t shying away from defending Trump, no matter how messy the fallout gets. And if his track record is any indication, he’ll keep doing it with the same mix of theological reasoning and political spin.
(Featured image: Gage Skidmore)
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