Pastors Pray Over Massive Gold Statue of Donald Trump in Florida

 

MAGA evangelical leaders gathered this week at Mar-a-Lago and at Trump National Doral Mami to bless and dedicate a towering gold statue honoring President Donald Trump, in a ceremony that is already drawing praise from supporters and criticism from opponents who compared the spectacle to religious idolatry.

The 22-foot gold-leafed statue, dubbed "Don Colossus," depicts Trump with his fist raised, recreating the gesture he made after surviving the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The sculpture was unveiled on Wednesday during a dedication ceremony led by evangelical pastor Mark Burns, one of Trump's closest religious allies.

Burns, who has repeatedly described Trump as protected by God, told attendees the statue was "not a golden calf" but rather "a symbol of resilience, freedom, patriotism, strength, and the willpower to keep fighting for the future of America."

According to videos and photos shared online by Burns and attendees, evangelical leaders prayed over the monument while supporters applauded around the base of the statue, which sits atop a seven-foot pedestal surrounded by palm trees at Trump's golf property in South Florida. Trump himself reportedly called into the event by phone to thank Burns and the guests gathered there.

The statue was reportedly commissioned by crypto investors linked to the $PATRIOT meme coin project and sculpted by artist Alan Cottrill, who told media outlets the gold finish was quickly embraced by Trump allies. The project reportedly cost about $450,000.

The ceremony comes as Trump's relationship with evangelical Christianity continues to evolve into one of the defining cultural forces inside the MAGA movement. White evangelical voters remain among Trump's strongest supporters, and several influential pastors and Christian nationalist figures have publicly framed him as divinely chosen or protected.

In recent months, Trump has increasingly leaned into religious imagery. He has promoted the "God Bless the USA Bible," compared political attacks against him to persecution, and sparked backlash after sharing AI-generated images depicting himself as pope and as a Jesus-like figure online.

Critics quickly reacted to the gold statue unveiling online, with some Christian commentators warning that the blending of political devotion and religious symbolism risked crossing into idolatry. Supporters, meanwhile, described the monument as a patriotic tribute and a celebration of Trump's political survival.

Burns rejected comparisons to idol worship directly in his remarks. "We worship the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone," the pastor said during the ceremony. "This statue is a celebration of life.

 -Alicia Civita

A pathological narcissist is an individual with a deeply ingrained, destructive, and pervasive pattern of extreme self-centeredness, an inflated sense of power or entitlement, an insatiable need for admiration, and a profound lack of empathy. It is a persistent, maladaptive mental health condition that severely impacts interpersonal relationships and functioning. 

Characteristics:

Grandiose and Vulnerable States: Pathological narcissists often oscillate between extreme arrogance/entitlement (grandiosity) and hidden deep insecurity/shame (vulnerability).

Lack of Empathy: They have a consistent incapacity to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others

Exploitative Behavior: They often exploit others to achieve their own goals without consideration for the impact.

Fragile Self-Esteem: Despite appearing confident, they are highly sensitive to criticism, which can trigger intense anger or shame.

Maladaptive Behaviors: Common traits include, but are not limited to, vanity, arrogance, envy, and the constant manipulation of others to maintain a "false self". 

National Institutes of Health (.gov)