Latest news with #WhiteYuleMarble
Chicago Tribune
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
President Donald Trump demands his 'distorted' portrait in Colorado's Capitol be taken down
President Donald Trump took to social media Sunday night to complain about what he called a 'distorted' portrait of himself hanging in the Colorado State Capitol's Gallery of Presidents. '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 wrote in his post on Truth Social. The portrait, commissioned during Trump's first term, was paid for with a Republican-led fundraising effort and approved by Colorado Republicans before it was put on display in 2019. Former state Senate President Kevin Grantham, a Republican, raised nearly $11,000 in an online fundraiser for the portrait in the summer of 2018 after he learned no donations had been received to fund the painting more than a year into Trump's first term. The unveiling of the portrait on Aug. 1, 2019 — at an event hosted by the Colorado Senate Republicans and artist Sarah Boardman of Colorado Springs — was described as nonpartisan by organizers. 'I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one,' Trump wrote, asking that Gov. Jared Polis 'take it down.' 'Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the president of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork,' the governor's press secretary Shelby Wieman said in an emailed statement to The Post on Monday morning. '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 noted that the Capitol, which was completed in 1901, features Rose Onyx and White Yule Marble mined in Colorado and includes portraits of both former presidents and former governors. Trump's social media post complained about Boardman, who also painted former President Barack Obama's portrait in the Capitol's Gallery of Presidents. 'The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst,' Trump wrote. 'She must have lost her talent as she got older.' Boardman previously told The Denver Post it was important to her that both Trump and Obama looked apolitical in their portraits because the gallery is meant to tell the story of the U.S. and not one specific president. The other 43 presidential portraits in the Colorado gallery were painted by Lawrence Williams. He died before he could continue the collection with Obama's portrait. In 2018, after Colorado Citizens for Culture's initial effort had failed to raise any money for a Trump portrait, an aide to then-House Speaker Crisanta Duran, a Democrat, helped a liberal political group sneak a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin into the Capitol, where it was displayed on an easel beneath the spot reserved for Trump. Grantham launched his own fundraising campaign days later.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Freaks Out Over 'the Worst' Portrait of Him Ever
President Donald Trump threw a temper tantrum Sunday, demanding that an unflattering portrait of him be taken out of the Colorado state 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,' Trump wrote in an outraged post on Truth Social. 'The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older,' he wrote. In his post, Trump included a photograph of the portrait, showing a blanched president with furrowed brows, rounded cheeks, and a faded jaw line—not totally dissimilar from the president's own face. Certainly not 'purposefully distorted.' Ever insistent on his mandate, Trump claimed that he was really engaging in childish whining on behalf of the people. 'In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain. In fact, 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, 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. 'Jared should be ashamed of himself!' Trump's shot at Democratic Governor Jared Polis also included a reference to Aurora, Colorado. During his campaign for the White House, Trump had falsely claimed Aurora had been 'taken over by an armed Venezuelan gang. He now claims to have saved the city, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to crack down on undocumented immigrants and suspected gang members. Earlier this month, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from the 18th century, to declare Tren de Aragua as an invading force, for the purpose of deporting its members without due process. The president's use of the law is currently being reviewed in federal court after two legal advocacy groups alleged that the government had wrongly identified their clients as gang members. A federal judge issued a temporary pause on the deportations, but the government proceeded to send more than 100 Venezuelan nationals to a prison in El Salvador. A spokesperson for Polis commended the president's commitment to complaining about something so minute, telling The Hill, '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.'
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump blasts portrait of himself in Colorado Capitol as ‘distorted'
DENVER (KDVR) — President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to disparage a portrait of himself that has hung in the Colorado Capitol since 2019. The Colorado Republican party collected over $10,000 in donations for Trump's portrait in 2018, which was overseen by Colorado Citizens for Culture. The oil painting was commissioned by the Colorado GOP from Sarah Boardman, who also painted the Colorado Capitol's portrait of former President Barack Obama. However, Trump took issue with the painting on Sunday, posting to Truth Social that his Colorado portrait 'was purposefully distorted.' '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. The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older. In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain. In fact, 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, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don't worry, we saved it!), to take it down. Jared should be ashamed of himself!' AOC, Sanders speak to over 30K in Denver in 'biggest political event since Obama 2008' After making his statement, Trump went on to post a copy of his first-term presidential portrait, as well as his current presidential portrait. Nexstar's KDVR reached out to the Colorado Governor's Office and received this statement in response: '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.' It's not uncommon for presidential portraits to take some time to be installed in the Colorado Capitol: Obama's portrait, while fully funded within the first year of his presidency, took over three years to appear inside the gallery, according to reporting from The Associated Press. Colorado politicians react to President Trump's order dismantling Education Department Trump supporter Jerry Grotkier spoke to The Associated Press in 2019 when Trump's Colorado portrait was unveiled. Grotkier, then 74, drove from his home in the Colorado Springs area and said it was an honor to attend the ceremony. 'I think it does him great justice. I've seen unattractive portraits of him with a big, fat chin and whatever. He's the energizer bunny that we've all been waiting for,' he said. 'I was a Trump supporter as soon as he ran.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump calls on Polis to remove ‘purposefully distorted' portrait of himself hanging in the Colorado capitol
President Donald Trump on Sunday night disparaged a portrait of himself hanging in the Colorado Capitol as 'purposefully distorted' and called on the state's Gov. Jared Polis to take it down. '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 wrote to his social media platform Truth Social. He acknowledged that the artist, Sarah Boardman, had also painted a portrait of former President Barack Obama, which he said looks 'wonderful,' calling his 'truly the worst.' The painting targeted by Trump's tirade has been hanging up in the Colorado Capitol since 2019 — during the president's first term in office — according to an article published by The Denver Post. Trump's social media message didn't stop at the portrait. His post went on to berate Polis, calling him a 'Radical Left Governor' and demanding the portrait 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,' he wrote. 'Jared should be ashamed of himself!' A spokesperson for the governor said Polis was 'surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork' in a statement to POLITICO. '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,' the spokesperson said. 'We appreciate the President and everyone's interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.' Polis has pushed back against Trump's agenda since the president's return to office, particularly the Department of Government Efficiency's federal cutting spree. He accused DOGE of 'tearing down the old without necessarily having a more efficient way of doing it' during POLITICO's Governors Summit last month.
Politico
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trump calls on Polis to remove ‘purposefully distorted' portrait of himself hanging in the Colorado capitol
President Donald Trump on Sunday night disparaged a portrait of himself hanging in the Colorado Capitol as 'purposefully distorted' and called on the state's Gov. Jared Polis to take it down. '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 wrote to his social media platform Truth Social. He acknowledged that the artist, Sarah Boardman, had also painted a portrait of former President Barack Obama, which he said looks 'wonderful,' calling his 'truly the worst.' The painting targeted by Trump's tirade has been hanging up in the Colorado Capitol since 2019 — during the president's first term in office — according to an article published by The Denver Post. Trump's social media message didn't stop at the portrait. His post went on to berate Polis, calling him a 'Radical Left Governor' and demanding the portrait 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,' he wrote. 'Jared should be ashamed of himself!' A spokesperson for the governor said Polis was 'surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork' in a statement to POLITICO. '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,' the spokesperson said. 'We appreciate the President and everyone's interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.' Polis has pushed back against Trump's agenda since the president's return to office, particularly the Department of Government Efficiency's federal cutting spree. He accused DOGE of 'tearing down the old without necessarily having a more efficient way of doing it' during POLITICO's Governors Summit last month.
