On Trump tape, President seems to ask if campaign should 'use' Easley pastor Mark Burns

Mohsin Syed | The Greenville News

Easley pastor Mark Burns, a big supporter of President Donald Trump, is mentioned in a secretly recorded conversation that the president reportedly had with his lawyer two months before the 2016 election.

In the tape, Trump and his lawyer seem to discuss plans for payments to a former Playboy model alleging an affair. The tape was released Tuesday amid an escalating feud between the president and his longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen.

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The audio recording, surreptitiously made by Cohen, seems to capture the soon-to-be president and his lawyer discussing logistics of financing and whether to "pay with cash," although the sound is muffled and Trump's instructions on that are unclear. Lawyers for the two men disputed what was said.

On the tape, the conversation veers into other topics. At one point, it sounds as though Trump is taking a phone call. It is followed by Cohen bringing up poll numbers. At this point, pastors Darrell Scott and Mark Burns are mentioned.

Trumps says: "Mark Burns, can we use him anymore?"

To which Cohen says: "No, no."

The conversation about the pastors ends there.

Burns responded to the revelation on Twitter: "I've been saying for almost 2 yrs some in the campaign tried to marginalize my role, in the closing days. This tape and the fact that I remained traveling with and speaking for the campaign after this conversation. is even more proof @realDonaldTrump remained in my corner. #maga"

Burns regularly introduced Trump at his presidential campaign rallies. He also spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

The Easley pastor unsuccessfully ran in Republican primary for Trey Gowdy's Congressional seat earlier this year.

At the time in an interview with the Independent Mail, Burns said: "The president loves me."

Associated Press contributed to this report.