Trump Surrogate Who Put Clinton in Blackface Admits to Falsifying Biography

Mark Burns Among GOP Nominee’s Leading African-American Supporters

 

Mark Burns, the South Carolina pastor and televangelist who’s become a leading African-American surrogate for GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, has admitted to “overstating” significant details of his biography, including that he serves in the Army Reserve, holds a bachelor’s degree and is working toward a master’s. 

Burns, who sometimes introduces Trump at rallies and spoke at the Republican National Convention, was a virtual unknown until he rose to prominence in the campaign, as part of the nominee’s recent “outreach” to black voters. Earlier this week, Burns sparked controversy by posting a tweet of Hillary Clinton in blackface (above), repeating the Trump camp’s now-familiar claim that the Democratic nominee is pandering to black Americans and using them for votes. Burns later apologized for the tweet, but stood behind the underlying allegation: 

CNN reported Saturday morning that Burns’ bio on his church’s website stated he served six years in the Army Reserve, is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, obtained a bachelor’s degree from North Greenville University and is seeking a master’s at Anderson Theological Seminary. However, Burns never served in the Army Reserve (he was discharged from the National Guard in 2008), isn’t a member of Kappa Alpa Psi, attended North Greenville for only one semester, and isn’t currently enrolled at Anderson. 

In an interview with CNN’s Victor Blackwell, Burns first suggested his bio had been hacked, but the company that hosts the church’s website says there’s no evidence of that. Then, with CNN’s cameras rolling in a studio inside his church, Burns declared that the interview was off the record and accused Blackwell of attempting to destroy his character, before finally storming out.  

He later issued a statement. 

“As a young man starting my church in Greenville, South Carolina, I overstated several details of my biography because I was worried I wouldn’t be taken seriously as a new pastor,” Burns said. “This was wrong, I wasn’t truthful then and I have to take full responsibility for my actions.” 

Earlier in the interview, Burns said of his rise to prominence in the Trump campaign: “I think Donald Trump is a great judge of character. You would think he would just choose the greatest names, but Donald Trump values character mores than popularity or name, and I think I fall in that category.” 

Watch the interview here.