Pastor Mark Burns Who Said GOP Needs 'Demon-Killing Machines' Loses Primary

The South Carolina pastor who said the GOP needs "demon-killing machines" lost his primary on Tuesday.

Republican candidate Mark Burns was defeated by incumbent Representative William Timmons in the GOP primary for the state's 4th Congressional District, receiving less than 24 percent of the vote at the time the race was called. Timmons won more than 50 percent of the GOP vote, staving off a runoff election and advancing to the general against Democrat Ken Hill.

Despite being a longtime supporter of Trump, Burns did not earn a coveted endorsement from the former president. Trump instead backed Timmons, who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Burns, the co-founder of the NOW Television Network, has backed Trump since his 2016 presidential campaign, during which Time magazine called him "Donald Trump's Top Pastor."

The televangelist also supported Trump in the 2020 election and echoed the former president's baseless claims of election fraud after the White House was called for President Joe Biden. In the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol attack, Burns promoted the conspiracy that Antifa was responsible for the storming of the Capitol.

Burns, who made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2018, has urged other conservative firebrands to run alongside him this midterm season, including those like Pastor Greg Locke.

Last October, Burns said the GOP needs to recruit "demon-killing machines" such as Locke to run for federal office.

"If you really want to see life change, the gospel of Jesus just can't stay in the house of God," Burns said at the time. "We need politicians who would take the glory of God that's in the temple of God and take it to the halls of Congress."

Burns was among four Republican candidates challenging Timmons. The other two were George Abuzeid, a former Timmons adviser, and retired businessman Michael LaPierre.

Burns has previously attacked fellow Republicans, like South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who he suggested should be executed for considering gun control legislation.

"Lindsey Graham should be held accountable for treason for supporting Joe Biden's gun-grabbing Second Amendment law that he is trying to push forward," Burns said last week.

"We need to hold people for treason," he added, "start having some public hearings and start executing people who are found guilty for their treasonous acts against the Constitution of the United States of America. Just like they did back in 1776."

Burns opposes abortion, gay marriage and COVID-related mandates. He supports building a border wall and improving election integrity.

Burns has also likened the "indoctrination" of American children today to that of Nazi Germany, saying "there's no such thing as trans kids, there's only abusive parents."

"That is 1922 Nazi Germany all over again when they were indoctrinating children before Hitler came to power in 1933," he said last week. "They were children in 1922, and they were indoctrinating those young minds then. They are doing the very same thing here in America."