Trump demands removal of portrait in Colorado capitol
US President Donald Trump is demanding that his portrait in the Colorado state capitol be taken down, saying he has received complaints about the image and claiming it was “purposefully distorted” to make him look bad.
The portrait was painted during Mr Trump’s first term and unveiled in 2019.
Colorado Republicans raised more than 10,000 dollars (£8,360) through a GoFundMe account to commission the oil painting by Sarah Boardman, who also produced the capitol’s portrait of former president Barack Obama.
One Trump supporter at the time said that the portrait “does him great justice”.
‘Distorted’
But in a Sunday night post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said he would prefer no picture at all over the one that hangs in the Colorado capitol.
“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,” Mr Trump wrote.
Trump’s gone on a rampage because he hates this portrait so much. Maybe because it makes him look like JD Vance pic.twitter.com/tRfliy5oPJ
— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) March 24, 2025
The portrait was still up on Monday morning.
Boardman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, but the artist previously told The Denver Post when the portrait was unveiled that it was important that her depictions of both Mr Obama and Mr Trump look “apolitical”.
Shelby Wieman, a spokesperson for Colorado Democratic governor Jared Polis, said in a statement that the governor was “surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork”.
“We appreciate the president and everyone’s interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience,” Wieman continued.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
A painted portrait makes him ‘look bad’? Nothing and no one does a better job of that than him. Examples. Don’t talk about deporting criminals then empty 1500 insurrectionists onto the streets. It makes you look bad. Don’t call Zelenskyy a dictator and try to humiliate him on camera. It makes you look bad. Don’t tell the public you had all the airfields covered in 1775. It makes you look bad. You get my drift.
How can you have this story and not show us the painting!
Trump has probably warned NC not to show it otherwise he’ll come in and take them over.
I think you’re right. It’s a painting of a serious senior president, so it can’t be Trump. Put up one of mickey mouse instead.
The portrait is nothing like him. He looks quite pleasant in it.
Hint of Musk in that face,very apt
From the Ridiculous to the King of Stupid,
Keystone Republican Guard in ‘Carry On Trashing The White House’…
More proof of insanity ? Not needed.
Apparently he loves the portrait of himself gifted by Putin. Beware gammon in sheep’s clothing.
They were probably using it as a dartboard,between the eyes,Bullseye