U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded the removal of his official portrait from the Colorado State Capitol, sparking a new controversy. The POTUS called the portrait “distorted” and unflattering. Blaming Governor Jared Polis—who had no role in its creation—U.S. President Donald Trump also criticized the artist, claiming her skills had declined. The portrait, crowdfunded by Republican Senator Kevin Grantham, has been on display since 2019, but U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks have reignited debate over its artistic merit and political undertones. Despite his objections, the painting remains in place, with no official response from the governor yet.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the removal of his official portrait displayed at the Colorado State Capitol, claiming it is heavily distorted and unflattering. In a post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Colorado Governor Jared Polis of approving the artwork, despite the fact that the Democratic governor had no role in its creation or installation. The painting, which has been in place since August 2019, was actually commissioned by Republican State Senator Kevin Grantham, who led efforts to fundraise for the portrait.
U.S. President Donald Trump, 78, expressed his displeasure in a strongly worded social media post, stating, “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.” He further demanded that Governor Polis remove the painting, adding that the Democrat should be “ashamed of himself.”
The controversy deepened as U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the artist, Sarah Boardman, who also created the Capitol portrait of President Barack Obama. He suggested that Boardman’s artistic skills had declined over time, noting that Obama’s portrait appeared far more flattering. “She must have lost her talent as she got older,” U.S. President Donald Trump remarked. He went on to claim that many Colorado residents had voiced their frustration over the portrait, adding, “They are actually angry about it! I am speaking on their behalf to the Radical Left Governor, Jared Polis, who is extremely weak on crime.”
Presidential portraits displayed in the Colorado Capitol are typically funded through private donations rather than taxpayer money. In U.S. President Donald Trump’s case, the portrait was financed through a crowdfunding campaign initiated by then-Senate President Kevin Grantham, a Republican from Cañon City. Grantham spearheaded the fundraising effort in response to a previous prank in which a Democratic staffer briefly replaced U.S. President Donald Trump’s space in the President’s Gallery with an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The portrait, which cost $10,000, was celebrated at its unveiling for being the first crowdfunded presidential portrait in the Capitol. “It’s only fitting that a populist such as the president would have the first crowdfunded campaign for a presidential portrait, with contributions as small as $5 and as large as $500,” Grantham said at the time.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands, there has been no official response from Governor Polis regarding the fate of the portrait. For now, it remains on display, continuing to stir debate over its artistic merit and political significance.
