Republicans raised over $10K to commission painting president detests
An oil painting of Donald Trump, which has hung in the Colorado state Capitol since 2019, is set to be removed following the president’s scathing criticism of the artwork.
The decision to take down the portrait, commissioned by Republicans through a fundraiser exceeding $10,000, was made after Trump declared the painting “purposefully distorted” and claimed he would prefer no portrait at all over the existing one.
The portrait, created by British-born artist Sarah Boardman, was installed alongside the presidential gallery in Denver’s Capitol rotunda. Boardman, known for her depictions of political figures, said in an earlier interview with the Colorado Times Recorder that she painted Trump much like she does all her portrait subjects, in a “neutrally thoughtful, and non-confrontational” way in order to allow people to “reach their own conclusions” about the person.
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President Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday to voice his displeasure, describing the painting as “truly the worst” and accusing the artist of deliberately distorting his image. By contrast, Trump praised Boardman’s portrait of former President Barack Obama, which also hangs in the Capitol, calling it “wonderful.”
Trump said “many people from Colorado” had contacted him to voice their dissatisfaction with the painting, adding that he was speaking on their behalf to call for its removal. He also criticized Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, accusing him of weak leadership and linked the portrait controversy to partisan politics.
The painting’s removal was requested by Republican state Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, who suggested replacing it with one that “depicts [Trump’s] contemporary likeness,” The Associated Press reported.
The decision was formalized in a letter signed by the legislature’s bipartisan executive committee, which includes both Democratic and Republican leaders, according to the newswire.
The artwork has sparked reactions across party lines, with Democrats dismissing the controversy as a trivial matter.
Originally commissioned through a GoFundMe campaign launched by Colorado Republicans, the painting was unveiled in 2019 after reaching its fundraising goal in just 32 hours, according to House Democrats. The effort followed an incident in which a prankster reportedly placed a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the spot reserved for Trump.
The painting has since become a point of contention.
Boardman has defended her work, stating that her portraits are intended to be apolitical and timeless.
In the previous interview with the Recorder, she described her depiction of Trump as “thoughtful” and “neutral,” aiming to reflect his place in history rather than make a political statement.
The controversy has drawn comparisons to other instances where the former president has clashed with depictions of his image.
In 2019, during a state visit to the United Kingdom, Trump expressed outrage over a blimp depicting him as a baby in a diaper, stating that it made him feel “unwelcome,” The Times of London noted.
In her past statement, Boardman acknowledged that presidential portraits often face opposition but maintained that her work seeks to capture the “essence” of its subjects without bias. “There will always be dissent,” she said. “A neutrally thoughtful and non-confrontational portrait allows everyone to reach their own conclusions in their own time.”
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