'Do not be intimidated by tyrants': Shane Claiborne denounces Trump's 22-foot gold statue

Shane Claiborne, a prominent Christian activist, is ringing the alarm bells following the unveiling of a 22-foot golden statue of Donald Trump, likening the monument to biblical idols and calling on believers to resist intimidation by tyrants. 

Claiborn shared his reservations in an X post, urging his followers to remember the "faithful resistance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego." The three Hebrew men were thrown into a blazing furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon for refusing to worship a golden idol, according to the biblical Book of Daniel. They survived the ordeal unhurt, compelling the king to acknowledge their God's power.

He was also surprised to find that people have forgotten the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, whose narcissism is well-documented in the scriptures. Furthermore, Claiborne went on to underscore the anecdote of the "idolatrous golden calf." The calf is an object of false worship created by the Israelites from melted jewelry to replace their missing leader, Moses. "Do not bow down to idols. Do not be intimidated by tyrants. Follow Jesus. Not Trump," he concluded.

The towering golden statue, nicknamed 'Don Colossus', was unveiled on May 7, 2026, at the Trump National Doral golf resort in Miami. It was commissioned for $300,000 by a group of cryptocurrency investors behind the $PATRIOT meme coin, who intended to use the statue to drum up publicity for their digital asset. The statue also ran into trouble when the sculptor, tasked with the project, complained that he had not been paid for his work.

Pastor Mark Burns, who led the unveiling, asserted that the statue was not a "golden calf". "We worship the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone", he added. Burns called the statue a symbol of "resilience, freedom, patriotism, strength, and the will-power to keep fighting for the future of America." Trump himself called in at the event to thank those in attendance, saying that the statue has "come out beautifully" with people telling him that it is "unbelievable."

This is not the first time a gilded statue has been sculpted in the likeness of the president. A figure was erected at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2021. The sculpture showed Trump in sandals, shorts, and a suit jacket, while holding a wand-like object and the Constitution.

The statue controversy arrives at a time when a wave of AI-generated images comparing Trump to Jesus has flooded social media. These images, depicting Trump as a savior or a hero, have been shared widely across pro-Trump social media spaces, which many believe has blurred the line between political outreach, pop culture, and religious imagery.