U.S. President Donald Trump is in disagreement with the official portrait of him hanging at the state capitol of Colorado, arguing that it was intentionally altered to misrepresent his image. He has now demanded that the portrait be removed.
“Nobody likes an unflattering painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado’s State Capitol—placed there by the governor alongside those of other presidents—was intentionally distorted in a way I’ve never seen before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
He also compared his portrait to one of then-President Barack Obama, which the same artist, Sarah A. Boardman, created. "The artist painted President Obama too, and he looks wonderful, but my portrait is horrible. She lost her skills with age," Trump said.
Boardman, a British-born painter, was commissioned to do Trump's portrait after the initial presidential portrait painter, Lawrence Williams, who had painted all 43 of Trump's predecessors, died in 2003.
Trump's portrait was unveiled in 2019 but was not paid for by Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Rather, a GoFundMe campaign initiated by then-Republican state senate president Kevin Grantham raised $10,000 to finish the work.
A spokesperson for Governor Polis informed The Hill that the governor was taken aback by Trump's response and indicated that the administration was always willing to enhance the visitor experience at the capitol.
Trump's Demand for Removal
Trump indicated he would rather not have a portrait on display at all than retain the one that is there. In his opinion, numerous Colorado citizens have contacted state officials requesting that it be taken down or replaced.
"I'm saying it on their behalf to Radical Left Governor Jared Polis, who has been so weak on crime—particularly with Tren de Aragua, which nearly took over Aurora (Don't worry, we saved it!)—to get it shut down," Trump stated. "Jared should be ashamed."
Tren de Aragua, a gang from Venezuela, was active in Aurora, Colorado, according to reports last year. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act recently to deport almost 300 suspected gang members. The gang had been said to have overrun a housing complex in the city, with videos going viral depicting armed men guarding the premises moments before a shooting took place. The shooting forced Trump to campaign in Aurora.
Controversy Surrounding Trump's Portrait
Trump's portrait was controversial even before it was hung. In 2018, prior to its unveiling, protesters briefly put a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin on an easel where Trump's painting was supposed to hang.
The stunt was performed by a member of ProgressNow Colorado, with help from Democratic legislative staffer Katie March. March later was disciplined for providing the activist with access to the building.
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