Colorado lawmakers agree to take down Trump portrait after president's criticism
A portrait of President Donald Trump hanging in the Colorado state Capitol will be removed this week after Trump criticised it as 'purposefully distorted' and requested its removal on social media.
In a post on his Truth Social platform Sunday night, Trump said he would prefer not having a portrait at all than the one currently displayed in Denver.
'Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado… was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,' he wrote.
On Monday, the Colorado General Assembly's executive committee issued a bipartisan directive ordering the painting to be taken down 'immediately' and stored in a secure location until further notice.
The oil-on-canvas portrait, painted by artist Sarah Boardman, was unveiled in 2019 following a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $10,000 by Colorado Republicans. Boardman, whose work also includes portraits of Barack Obama and George W. Bush, had previously said her goal was to depict Trump as 'thoughtful and nonconfrontational.'
Trump, however, praised the neighbouring portrait of Obama, saying it 'looks wonderful,' while claiming Boardman 'must have lost her talent as she got older.'
The directive to remove the portrait came at the request of Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Republican, who said it should be replaced with one 'that depicts his contemporary likeness.'
Colorado House Democrats responded, saying, 'If the GOP wants to spend time and money on which portrait of Trump hangs in the Capitol, then that's up to them.' A spokesperson for Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, said the state appreciates 'everyone's interest in our Capitol and are always looking to improve the visitor experience.'
The portrait had drawn attention even before its installation. In 2019, a prankster briefly replaced the display area intended for Trump's portrait with an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The portrait itself was later criticised for being too flattering — a depiction some opponents described as 'inaccurate' in its restraint.
Visitors to the Capitol on Monday were seen taking selfies with the painting ahead of its removal. 'Honestly, he looks a little chubby, but better than I could do,' said one tourist from Wyoming.
The portraits of US presidents at the Capitol are typically funded by private donors or political organisations. Earlier portraits — up to Jimmy Carter — were donated as a set. Colorado's Building Advisory Committee oversees the display.
Boardman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a previous interview, she said, 'There will always be dissent... A neutrally thoughtful, and nonconfrontational, portrait allows everyone to reach their own conclusions.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Zelenskyy says Putin-Trump summit should focus on ceasefire in Ukraine
BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said that Russia should face new sanctions if it does not agree to an 'immediate ceasefire' at a summit with US President Donald Trump this week. 'We hope that the central topic at the meeting will be a ceasefire. An immediate ceasefire,' Zelenskyy said after a call with Trump and European leaders. 'Sanctions must be in place and must be strengthened if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire,' Zelenskyy added, speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. Trump is due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday and has said he wants to arrange a trilateral meeting including Zelenskyy. Trump-Putin summit to take place on US military base Ukraine in March agreed to a US proposal for a ceasefire and has said there can be no substantive peace talks with Russia without one. Russia has rejected the ceasefire proposal and stalled on Zelenskyy's call for direct talks with Putin. 'I have told my colleagues, the US president, and our European friends, that Putin definitely does not want peace,' Zelenskyy said. He also said that Russia was 'trying to put pressure on all parts of the Ukrainian front ahead of the meeting in Alaska'.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
NA passes Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2024
The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2024 by a majority vote enacting it into law after rejecting opposition proposals amid protests in the House. The House suspended its routine agenda to take up the bill. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq ordered a headcount on the bill's passage, which showed 125 votes in favour and 45 against. Opposition members protested and shouted slogans during the process. PTI chairperson Barrister Gohar Ali Khan argued that the bill violated Article 10 of the Constitution and fundamental rights by allowing detention without trial for up to three months, extendable by another three. He said no law could be enacted in contravention of the Constitution or the Supreme Court's rulings, and noted past instances of prolonged detention without due process. Read: HRCP urges govt to scrap anti-terror bill Maulana Fazlur Rehman questioned the need for such a law, recalling similar measures in the Musharraf era that he said treated citizens as 'born criminals'. The opposition maintained that the law could be misused, while the government insisted it was necessary to address the prevailing security situation. Oil reserves Separately, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) lawmakers sought clarification from the government over US President Donald Trump's past remarks about vast oil reserves in Pakistan. On July 31, Trump took to social media to announce a new deal between the US and Pakistan for the joint development of Pakistan's "massive oil reserves". PPP's Dr Nafisa Shah questioned why the government had not provided information if such reserves existed. 'The US President is telling us about oil reserves in Pakistan, but why is the Government of Pakistan not informing us?' Read More: Trump wins his deal, Pakistan eyes the future Responding to the call to attention notice, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik said Pakistan had recently awarded oil exploration rights to companies from Kuwait, Turkey, and other countries. He confirmed the presence of reserves but said their exact size could only be determined after exploration work began. He added that three major gas fields—larger than the Sui field—had been discovered, and exploration had commenced in Hyderabad. Malik noted that countries such as China and the US possessed technology to verify the presence of oil and gas rapidly. Dr Shah also questioned whether Trump's remarks, including that Pakistan could one day export oil to India, were intended to pressure India into concessions, given that Pakistani ministers claimed they did not yet know the reserves' size. PPP lawmaker Syed Naveed Qamar asked if exploration opportunities would be open to countries beyond the US. Malik replied that rights would be available to multiple companies.
Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Oil steady as market awaits inventory data, US-Russia meeting
SINGAPORE: Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday as investors awaited U.S. inventory data, while eyeing an upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Brent crude futures dipped 3 cents, or 0.05%, to $66.09 a barrel at 0711 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures edged down 8 cents, or 0.13%, at $63.09. Both contracts settled lower on Tuesday. Trump and Putin are due to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine that has shaken oil markets since February 2022. Oil investors are in a 'wait-and-see mode' ahead of the meeting, said ING commodity strategists. 'The outcome could remove some of the sanction risk hanging over the market,' the ING strategists added. Investors also awaited further cues after an industry report showed U.S. crude stockpiles climbed last week. Crude inventories in the United States, the world's biggest oil consumer, rose by 1.52 million barrels last week, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Gasoline inventories dropped while distillate inventories gained slightly. Should the U.S. Energy Information Administration data later on Wednesday also show a decline, it could indicate that consumption during the summer driving season has peaked and refiners are easing back their runs. The driving season typically runs from the Memorial Day holiday at the end of May to the Labor Day holiday in early September. Analysts polled by Reuters expect the EIA report to show crude inventories fell by about 300,000 barrels last week. Outlooks issued by OPEC and the EIA on Tuesday pointed to increased production this year which also weighed on prices. But both expect output in the U.S., the world's largest producer, to decline in 2026 while other regions will increase oil and natural gas production. U.S. crude production will hit a record 13.41 million barrels per day in 2025 due to increases in well productivity, though lower oil prices will prompt output to fall in 2026, the EIA forecast in a monthly report. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' monthly report said global oil demand will rise by 1.38 million bpd in 2026, up 100,000 bpd from the previous forecast. Its 2025 projection was left unchanged. The White House on Tuesday tempered the expectations for a quick Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal, which may lead investors to reconsider an end to the war soon and any easing of sanctions on Russian supply, which had been supporting prices. 'Trump downplayed expectations of his meeting with President Putin … However, expectations of additional sanctions on Russian crude continue to fall,' ANZ senior commodity strategist Daniel Hynes wrote in a note.
