President Donald Trump is demanding the removal of a painting hanging in the Colorado State Capitol, calling it "purposefully distorted."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his displeasure with the image, 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.”
Trump also compared his portrait to that of former President Barack Obama, remarking, “The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one [of] me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older.”
Trump emphasized that he would rather not have any picture displayed rather than the current one, citing that many Coloradans had expressed their desire for the portrait to be removed.
“I am speaking on their behalf to the Radical Left Governor, Jared Polis, who is extremely weak on Crime, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don’t worry, we saved it!), to take it down,” Trump wrote.
The president's comments referenced the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which reportedly had a significant presence in Aurora, Colorado, last year.
The group, often called TdA, had taken control of an apartment building, and a video showing armed men in the building surfaced online, shortly before a shooting incident. Trump had visited the area during his campaign, drawing attention to the group’s presence in the U.S.
In 2018, a political activist placed a large portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Colorado Capitol in place of Trump’s portrait, as reported by 9News in Denver.
This move came after Republicans were unable to fund the painting of Trump. Governor Polis’ office responded to the criticism, stating, “Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork. The State Capitol was completed in 1901, and features Rose Onyx and White Yule Marble mined in Colorado, and includes portraits of former Presidents and former governors. We appreciate the President and everyone’s interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.”
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