Critics have taken the opportunity to mock President Donald Trump following his remarks about a particularly unflattering portrait of him displayed in the Colorado State Capitol. On Sunday evening, Trump expressed his frustration towards Colorado Governor Jared Polis for showcasing what he described as a “deliberately distorted” image of himself in the Capitol.
Trump wrote:
“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 [of] 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.”
Trump referenced the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) while addressing recent deportations, mentioning its supposed presence in Aurora, Colorado, last year. Additionally, a close-up of the controversial portrait was included for emphasis.
Naturally, Trump’s grievances only served to amplify attention on the portrait he so despises, leading to humorous reactions as individuals began to mock him by sharing the image more widely. One person even utilized software to alter the portrait, depicting Trump in tears—perhaps out of exasperation.
Several others creatively modified his hair and facial features, resulting in amusing outcomes. The portrait of Trump was installed on the wall of presidential portraits at the Colorado State Capitol in 2019, following a prankster’s placement of a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the same area a year prior.
This oil painting, created by Sarah Boardman, was commissioned by a Republican State Senator through a GoFundMe campaign in 2018, with Colorado Republicans raising over $10,000 to support the project. Boardman, who also painted the Capitol’s portrait of Barack Obama, completed this work as part of the state’s ongoing tradition of honoring U.S. presidents.
