Trump advisor Mark Burns admits lying in awkward interview

  • 04/09/2016
Pastor Mark Burns in contentious CNN confrontation interview
Pastor Mark Burns in contentious CNN confrontation interview

Pastor Mark Burns, a Donald Trump supporter and advisor, has admitted falsifying his biography in an awkward interview with CNN that he ends up storming out of.

Just days after the evangelical South Carolina preacher apologised for publishing a controversial image of Hillary Clinton in blackface, he was confronted over lies about serving in the Army Reserve and earning a university degree.

Mr Burns has never served in the Army Reserve, but was in the South Carolina National Guard, from which he was reportedly discharged in 2008.

He had claimed he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from North Greenville University, but the university says he only attended classes there for one semester.

"This is not fair at all," Mr Burns tells CNN's Victor Blackwell during the interview.

"I thought we were doing a profile and all of a sudden you're here to try to destroy my character."

He also claims that he believed the interview to be "off the record", and eventually walks out of it.

Following the interview, Mr Burns released a statement saying he had "overstated several details of [his] biography", for which he has "to take full responsibility for [his] actions" - but for which he does not say "sorry".

Newshub.