The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has sparked a new controversy by demanding the removal of his official portrait at the Colorado State Capitol. According to Trump, the portrait, painted by local artist Sarah Broadman, depicts him in a deliberately “disfigured” manner.
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Likewise, Trump has accused Colorado Governor Jared Polis of being behind what he considers to be an “intentional mockery.”
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The painting, which is part of the Presidents Gallery at the Capitol in Denver, was funded in 2019 through a campaign by the Republican Party to raise funds and maintain the tradition of portraying each U.S. president.
A portrait of Trump made in 2019 becomes the subject of controversy
Six years later, Trump has expressed his discontent through Truth Social, his own social network. “No one likes a bad photo or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, at the state Capitol, placed by the governor, alongside all the other presidents, was intentionally disfigured to a point that perhaps I have never seen before,” wrote Trump.
Additionally, he insinuated that Broadman, who also painted Barack Obama in a “wonderful” way, had lost his talent over the years. The president not only criticized the artwork, but also took the opportunity to attack Governor Jared Polis, whom he described as part of the “radical left” with an “extremely weak stance on crime”.
Trump even linked the Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal gang, accusing the police of allowing its alleged dominance in Aurora, Colorado. In response, the governor’s team reacted ironically to Trump’s accusations.
The painting will be removed and replaced with a new one
The House Democrats declared in a statement that the oil painting would be removed at the request of the Republican leaders of the Legislature. Colorado Republicans raised over $10,000 through a GoFundMe account to commission the painting, which was unveiled in 2019.
Senate Minority Leader, Republican Paul Lundeen, stated that he requested the removal of Trump’s portrait and its replacement with one that “represented his contemporary image.”
The Democrats declared, “If the Republican Party wants to invest time and money in which portrait of Trump is displayed in the Capitol, it’s their decision.”
The governor of Colorado becomes the new target of Trump’s attacks
A spokesperson for Polis commented that the governor was surprised that Trump was “a big fan of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork.” In addition, he thanked the former president for his interest and assured that they are always looking to improve the visitor experience at the Capitol.
The public’s reaction has been varied, while some of Trump’s supporters endorse his stance and consider the portrait to be disrespectful, others believe that the president is exaggerating and politicizing a trivial matter.