Many of you may know of Mark Burns, a black pastor from South Carolina who boldly supports President Donald Trump. At a time when many across the U.S. believe Trump and the rest of the Republican Party to be racist, Burns is taking an unconventional stand. It all started when he visited Trump Tower in 2015 and heard God tell him, “Show the world that [Trump] is not a racist.”

Since then, Burns—founder of the NOW Television Network—has unashamedly spoken in defense of the president, calling out false allegations and unfair attacks from the left. I recently interviewed Burns for my “In Depth With Stephen Strang” podcast, where he discussed why he stands for Donald Trump—and the real reason the left loves to call him racist. (Click here to listen)

“Back in 2015, I was asked to come up along with Dr. Darrell Scott, who invited me to come to Trump Tower to have a meeting with some evangelical leaders,” Burns says. “I really didn’t know a lot about Donald Trump other than he was the guy who said, ‘You’re fired!’ He had just made the announcement that he [was] running for president, so my wife and I attended this meeting and saw some of the greatest generals in the kingdom—they were all there. And I was just shocked.”

Burns recalls the excitement he felt to meet some of today’s major Christian leaders, such as Dr. David Jeremiah, Jentezen Franklin and others. When all the leaders sat down, Burns ended up being sat directly opposite of Trump, and the first thing Burns noticed was that Trump was carrying his mother’s Bible.

“I didn’t think I was going to make a real impact, but I felt a boldness come over me,” he says. “I [asked God], ‘Do I belong at this table?’ I heard the Holy Spirit say, clear as day, ‘You belong here. You belong here.’ And then He gave me the words to ask a question that I think so many others wanted to ask but didn’t ask. I think there were three other African-American leaders … so the question I asked was, ‘Mr. Trump, many of us African-American leaders took some heat just even coming to this meeting. So clearly, there’s a disconnection between you—the Republican Party—and the black community. What’s your plan to bridge the gap?'”

Burns says the question didn’t faze Trump. On the contrary, the future president got excited and said, according to Burns, “Thank you for asking that question. This is why I wanted to bring everyone together. I would like to learn more about how we can make this better for the African-American community.”

Trump’s response told Burns and every other black leader in that room that the business mogul would be a president for all races, contrary to what popular opinion would dictate.

Many pastors and Christian leaders prayed over Trump that day, which you can read about on Charisma News. In a viral video of that prayer time, Dr. David Jeremiah is shown asking God to send a strong black African-American who would walk with Trump and help him bridge that racial gap.

Not too long afterward, Burns was asked to speak in Trump’s place at Bob Jones University. Other Republican candidates were going to speak, but Trump wasn’t able to make it. Bob Jones University was only 10 minutes from where Burns lived, so he agreed.

“All the presidential candidates were there and they all spoke—the Republican candidates,” Burns says. “And then it was time for Donald Trump. So I came on stage, and I just began to pour my heart out with what I thought the Holy Spirit was telling me to say. And the place went crazy—great response. … So that’s how I started speaking.”

Not too long afterward, Burns was asked to do the invocation at a Trump rally. He had never been to a political rally before, though, so he wasn’t exactly sure what to do.

“So I got there and just did what I did at the event for Bob Jones,” Burns says. “And the place received it really well. For me, as a speaker, I’ve discovered that I’m doing the same thing I do when I pray or when I teach. I talk about Jesus, I talk about the Holy Spirit, I talk about being a nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. … I have so many stories that have happened behind the scenes—things that I’ve been blessed to be part of, to help carry that message of Donald Trump and why I believe God has chosen him and why he has been successful even though he has so many people coming against him.”

Burns says many—especially on the political left—scheme against Trump’s presidency even though he’s done so much for minorities and for the nation as a whole. And although many have questioned and attacked Burns for his strong commitment to Trump’s vision for the U.S., he refuses to back down from what he believes God has revealed to him. I can’t help but admire his strength to stand firm.

I encourage you to listen to my full interview with Burns, where we go deep discussing his testimony and the incredible things God has done in his life. He has an inspiring story that I know you won’t want to miss. Just click here to listen!

–Stephen Strang