President Donald Trump and his portrait in the Colorado State Capitol building. Photo:
Luke Hales/Getty; Monica Wells / Alamy
President Donald Trump is calling for a portrait of him to be removed from a gallery almost six years after the artist unveiled it.
On Sunday, March 23, Trump, 78, shared a photograph on Truth Social of the portrait by artist Sarah Boardman that hangs in the third-floor rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver, in the Gallery of Presidents, per The Denver Post.
“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.
“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.”
The Gallery of Presidents in the Colorado State Capitol building. Monica Wells / Alamy
Trump claimed he’s not the only person who has found issues with the portrait since it was hung in 2019, and went on to call out Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
“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,” Trump continued.
“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,” he said.
“Jared should be ashamed of himself!” Trump concluded.
He didn’t explain why he suddenly decided to voice his opinions on the portrait despite it having initially been unveiled during his first stint in the White House.
Back in 2018, a political activist snuck into the Capitol building to place a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the empty spot where Trump’s was supposed to hang.
Former Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham, a Republican, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000 for a portrait of Trump following the stunt. It took around 32 hours to raise enough money and about 200 donors, TIME reported.
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Boardman previously painted a portrait of Barack Obama following the 2003 death of Lawrence Williams, who had painted all 43 previous presidential portraits, according to the outlet.
When Trump’s portrait was unveiled in 2019, the British-born artist, who is based in Colorado Springs, gushed about the artwork on her Facebook while sharing two photos of it.
“What a great day! The unveiling of the 45th President in the Gallery of Presidents, Rotunda, Denver State Capitol building,” Boardman wrote. “Thank you to all the dignitaries, staff, donors and visitors who attended and made this a wonderful event! Thank You, I appreciate you all more than you know. Feeling Very Grateful.”
She added, “Please remain respectful – this is about portraiture, not politics. Thank you!”
President Donald Trump. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty
At the time, she also told the Colorado Times Recorder that her personal political views didn’t impact her work on Trump’s portrait.
“When I start to paint a portrait, it is the portrait, likeness, and ‘essence’ of the subject which I strive to portray,” she said. “Any personal feelings about any subject are not relevant and are left outside the studio per my training to ‘leave those emotions at the door.’ “
Broadman did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on March. 24.
Polis was “surprised to hear about the President’s post,” complaining about the artwork, a spokesperson told local media outlet 9News, before adding, “We appreciate the President and everyone’s interest in our Capitol Building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.”
PEOPLE has also reached out to Jared Polis and Kevin Grantham for comment.
