A spiritual adviser for President Donald Trump has offered a striking defense of the president's history of alleged sexual misconduct, suggesting that it does not matter in the eyes of God. Mark Burns, a South Carolina-based pastor, made the comments in an interview with The New Yorker's Isaac Chotiner, which quickly drew attention for its unflinching perspective.
Burns' Defense of Trump
During the interview, Chotiner noted that Burns appeared to accept the allegations against Trump rather than deny them. Trump was found liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll, and the $83 million judgment against him is currently on hold. He has also faced accusations from numerous other women and was recorded bragging about grabbing women without consent.
Chotiner asked Burns if it was accurate that he assumes Trump did these things but believes God can still use him. Burns responded, “Well, I think that it could be said about all of us. 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.”
Chotiner pushed back, saying, “That’s interesting, 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?”
God as the Ultimate Judge
Burns replied, “Ultimately, God is our judge, not people. And we may have a sliding scale, as you say, in man’s law, because it is true, murder is way more dangerous and carries heavier weights than jaywalking or eating too much. Gluttony is just as much a sin as murder, but in the eyes of man, murder carries way more weight, and it should be handled the way that the word of God says it should be handled.”
He continued, “But in the eyes of God, who is our ultimate judge, God is a God of forgiveness. God is a God of love. So, having said that, it doesn’t matter what President Trump has done in his past.”
Chotiner asked, “It doesn’t matter?” Burns responded, “It doesn’t matter in the eyes of the Lord, and apparently, it doesn’t really matter to the eyes of the American voters because they voted for him and made him president twice. Many would argue three times.”
Avoiding the 2020 Election Lie
Burns sidestepped when asked about Trump's false claims regarding the 2020 election. He concluded, “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. The president is not grabbing anybody or talking about grabbing anybody from their private parts today.”
