'Don Colossus' statue of Trump not a 'golden calf,' pastor insists

• A 15-foot-tall statue was put up at Trump Nationla Doral Miami.
• The pastor who led the dedication ceremony said it isn't a 'golden calf.'

A golden statue of President Donald Trump raising his fist now sits at the Trump National Doral Miami golf course.

Even before it was placed among the palm trees at Trump's resort, the statue was controversial. Ohio sculptor Alan Cottrill was commissioned by cryptocurrency group $PATRIOT for the project, but the two had a copyright and payment disagreement that delayed its debut.

Dubbed "Don Colossus," the statue stands at 22 feet tall when the 15-foot bronze statue covered in gold leaf is atop the pedestal.

A May 6 dedication for the statue was presided over by Pastor Mark Burns, a Trump ally and spiritual advisor. The statue may have been controversial, but it isn't the first of Trump. Here is what to know:

Pastor who led statue dedication says it isn't a golden calf

Burns posted about the statue ribbon-cutting ceremony on X the same day of the ceremony.

"Let me say this plainly: this is not a golden calf. We worship the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone. This statue is not about worship. It is about honor."

The golden calf refers to a biblical tale from the Old Testament in which the Israelites worshipped an idol instead of God.

"This statue is a celebration of life. It is a symbol of resilience, freedom, patriotism, strength, and the will power to keep fighting for the future of America," Burns' post read. "It also stands as a reminder of the hand of God and His protection over President Trump’s life."

Trump has been in hot water with Christians recently over repeated criticism of Pope Leo XIV and AI-generated religious imagery. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the statue in Doral.

Trump had a temporary gold statue for crypto in DC

This isn't the first golden statue of Trump put up by crypto enthusiasts. A golden statue of President Donald Trump was temporarily put up in D.C. on Sept. 17 to honor his support of cryptocurrency.

"The Bitcoin President" statue placed along the National Mall depicted Trump with a Bitcoin in his hand and was displayed as a demonstration for several hours, according to a National Park Service permit previously obtained by USA TODAY, which called it a "symbolic gesture."

"Recognizing the president's support for cryptocurrency and its role in pushing Bitcoin's value beyond $100,000, this artistic installation aims to ignite discussion in this iconic location," the permit stated.

The timing of the statue coincided with the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut announcement, ABC 7News reported. The Crypto Times reported the stunt was organized by memecoin enthusiasts and tied to Pump.fun memecoin platform, which did not answer USA TODAY's request for more information at the time.

Temporary statues have also been put up in protest of Trump, including two statues of him with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by anonymous art group The Secret Handshake.

Contributing: Julia Gomez, Tom D'Angelo, Laura Bischoff, USA TODAY Network

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her onX (Twitter),Threads,Bluesky andTikTok.