Donald Trump’s mug shot framed on wall outside the Oval Office
Photos taken during a meeting between President Trump and India’s prime minister Narendra Modi revealed a framed image of Trump’s infamous mug shot.
- A portrait of former President Donald Trump in the Colorado state Capitol building, funded by Republicans, has been removed after Trump called it “distorted” on social media.
- The portrait was painted by Sarah A. Boardman, who also painted former President Barack Obama’s portrait for the Colorado state Capitol, and was intended to depict Trump in a neutral manner.
- Trump mistakenly blamed Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, for the portrait, even though Polis had no involvement in its commissioning or creation.
An oil painting of President Donald Trump he called “distorted” is being removed from the Colorado state capitol building.
On Sunday, Trump took to the social media site he owns, Truth Social, to complain about it.
“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 said. “I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one.”
The Executive Committee of the Colorado Legislative Council decided Monday to remove the painting and store it “until further notice.”
However, he aimed his ire at Colorado Democrat Gov. Jared Polis, whom he called “extremely weak on Crime, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don’t worry, we saved it!).” Trump said, without evidence, that “many people” were angry about the portrait and that “Jared should be ashamed of himself!”
Problem: Polis had nothing to do with it.
Who commissioned the Trump portrait in Colorado?
Republicans.
The Colorado state Capitol boasts a gallery of portraits of all the United States presidents funded by private donations collected by the grassroots organization Colorado Citizens for Culture, according to Time. The group attempted to raise $10,000 to commission a Trump portrait during his first term but received no donations at all.
In July 2018, a member of ProgressNow Colorado snuck in a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin on an easel in front of the empty wall where Trump’s portrait would go. The stunt made national headlines and galvanized local Republicans, who raised the money in under three days from about 200 donors through a GoFundMe started by then-State Senate President Kevin Grantham.
The resulting painting was unveiled in August 2019 in a nonpartisan event featuring prominent Colorado Republicans, Time said.
Senate Minority Leader — and Republican — Paul Lundeen said he requested for Trump’s portrait to be taken down and replaced by one “that depicts his contemporary likeness.”
Who is Sarah A. Boardman?
English native Sarah A. Boardman, a Colorado Springs resident and award-winning artist, was commissioned to paint the official portraits of former President Barack Obama and Trump after winning a nationwide call for artists. She submitted a variety of photographs to the Capitol Building Advisory Committee for approval.
When the portrait was unveiled, she told CPR News that she chose to depict Trump as “thoughtful, non-confrontational, not angry, not happy, not tweeting.
“In five, 10, 15, 20 years, he will be another president on the wall who is only historical background and he needs to look neutral.”
Did Colorado Gov. Jared Polis have anything to do with the Trump portrait in Colorado?
No. Polis became governor in 2019, after the GoFundMe had already been started.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office told 9News in Denver Sunday that Polis 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.”
Trump portrait from Putin
Which may have been the problem. Trump’s official portrait in the White House is stern, glaring, unlike his first-term portrait where he was smiling. He has also hung an image of his mug shot outside the local Office, taken when he was arrested on election racketeering charges.
Images of himself from supporters that he shares on social media or sold as NFTs and digital trading cards depict him as heroic, angelic, powerful. Boardman’s portrait, which has hung in place for six years, depicts him as a man.
Trump was also reportedly touched by a portrait of himself commissioned by Putin after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
