A new portrait of former President Donald Trump is now displayed in the Colorado State Capitol. This painting replaces an earlier version that Trump criticized as "purposefully distorted" and "truly the worst." The new artwork, created by Arizona artist Vanessa Horabuena, was donated by the White House and is now part of the rotunda’s wall of past presidents.
The portrait shows Trump in a serious pose, leaning slightly forward with a furrowed brow and a determined look. It occupies the same spot where the previous painting by Sarah Boardman had hung since 2019. The original portrait was removed earlier this year after Trump publicly condemned it on social media, despite having been displayed for six years.
Trump expressed gratitude to Horabuena and the people of Colorado in a post on Truth Social, announcing that the new portrait is now on display. The previous painting, which depicted a younger Trump, was taken down after the president’s harsh comments. He claimed it was so distorted that he had never seen anything like it before. Trump also noted that while the artist had done a good job with a portrait of President Obama, his own likeness was poorly executed.
The removal of the original painting and the installation of the new one involved the Colorado Building Advisory Committee, which oversees the portraits in the Capitol, not the governor. The decision to display the new portrait was made after local Republican leaders requested the change. Lois Court, the chair of the committee, received the new artwork over a month ago and decided to hang it this week, stating that it made sense to fill the empty space on the wall.
The controversy surrounding the original portrait highlighted the often contentious relationship between art and politics, especially when it comes to representations of public figures. The new portrait now adds a fresh chapter to the ongoing narrative of Trump’s legacy within the state’s political landscape.