Pastor Mark Burns says he'll portray Trump at the Republican National Convention as a unifying figure whose message has often been distorted by media sound bites. | AP Photo Pro-Trump Pastor Mark Burns to speak at GOP convention The South Carolina evangelical is a frequent opening act for Trump, and now he’s slated to speak Monday night on the GOP’s biggest stage.

Mark Burns, a pastor who has often served as the opening act at Donald Trump rallies, will deliver a Monday evening address at the Republican National Convention, where Burns says he'll portray Trump as a unifying figure whose message has often been distorted by media sound bites.

“I’d like to talk to the heart of Mr. Trump, the heart that he has for this country,” said Burns, an evangelical pastor from South Carolina who first met the presumptive GOP nominee last year, when Trump’s spiritual adviser Paula White convened a group of religious leaders to advise Trump’s nascent campaign.


Burns declined to reveal any specific language from his speech or any anecdotes he intends to use, but he said he intends to speak about “how it’s so important for the leader of our nation to be a voice for all Americans. Being a leader that’s not going to pander to a particular group,” he said. “We want to bring people together — really deal with the issues without looking at all the polling,” he said.

After he met Trump last year, Burns, an African-American, set out to arrange meetings between Trump and black religious leaders, attempting to moderate the mogul’s image with African-Americans. He had a hand in a November meeting in which 100 black pastors converged on Trump Tower to speak with the mogul.

Trump has had a strained relationship with black voters, who have overwhelmingly rejected him in public polls. Trump took flak earlier this year for being slow to repudiate the endorsement of white supremacists and for suggesting he didn’t know anything about David Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan. He’s also alienated many Latino voters over his support for a border wall with Mexico and a harsh crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Trump’s proposed ban on Muslim immigration and his harsh criticism of an American judge with Mexican heritage has led to further divisions, even as Trump has blamed the media and his critics for the fallout.

Burns said he rejects suggestions that he’s been used by Trump to pander to black voters, and he bristles while recalling times he said he has been called an “Uncle Tom” by his critics.

“Dr. King was oftentimes accused of being an Uncle Tom … used by the [President Lyndon] Johnson administration,” he said. “I’m not comparing myself, Mark Burns, with Martin Luther King. But what I am saying is I can understand how there’s so much division in this country.”

It’s all part of why Burns is embracing his convention platform as a chance to portray Trump as a unifying figure. Burns began traveling regularly with the campaign after he impressed Trump with opening remarks at a February rally during South Carolina’s primary season.

Burns said he’s seen a personal side of Trump that few others have. He recalled a North Carolina rally for which Trump was running nearly an hour late. Burns had to stay on stage to keep the crowd energized, and when Trump finally arrived, Burns walked offstage to meet him. Trump, he said, had a look of concern on his face.

“‘Do you think the people are OK for having them … wait this long?’” he said Trump asked him.

“It’s just us backstage, and he’s right behind the curtains, I’m right beside him. He was so concerned about the people that had been standing there all that time,” Burns said. “I can tell you he really, really loves people.”

Burns says that in private moments, he’s met Trump’s family and they’ve talked “about life, about what’s taking place in our country.”

Burns is harshly critical of President Barack Obama’s language on issues of race and racism, ripping the president for even uttering the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” a movement whose tactics Burns described as a “form of terror.” Trump, he said, would be a better choice to bring people together, though he said Trump may struggle to do so too.

“I don’t think any one person can do it,” Burns said. “But I think whoever is the leader of the free world and the biggest mouthpiece for America, they have a great job in influencing the country. I believe that Donald Trump could bring people together. ... We can bring people together if we focus on the issues that matter, like jobs. It has nothing to do with color. It has everything to with Americans as a whole.”