Colorado will remove President Trump’s portrait from its Capitol after he called out the “purposefully distorted” painting that made him look unflattering compared to former President Obama’s portrait by the same artist.
See the tweet below.
The oil painting, paid for by Republican supporters through a GoFundMe campaign raising over $10,000, will be taken down at the request of GOP leaders who plan to replace it with a more accurate representation.
The controversy erupted when Trump took to Truth Social to slam the portrait, which has been displayed among other presidential paintings since its 2019 unveiling.
He did not hesitate to criticize the artwork created by artist Sarah Boardman during his first term.
“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.
Trump further highlighted what he saw as unfair treatment compared to Boardman’s previous work, stating:
“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.”
The portrait’s removal comes after Trump claimed Colorado residents had complained about the unflattering depiction.
Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen has suggested replacing it with a “contemporary likeness” that better represents the President.
Interestingly, the portrait saga began after a liberal prank when someone placed a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin near Trump’s reserved spot in the gallery.
This prompted former Senator Kevin Grantham (R-CO) to lead a fundraising effort to commission Trump’s official portrait, which had been delayed due to a lack of donations.
Democrats attempted to deflect responsibility, with House Democrats stating, “If the GOP wants to spend time and money on which portrait of Trump hangs in the Capitol, then that’s up to them.”
Trump portrait to be removed at Colorado Capitol after president’s criticism https://t.co/ohca6pbbrH
— The Hill (@thehill) March 24, 2025
Although Trump initially blamed Democrat Governor Jared Polis for the unflattering image, the portraits are actually managed by the Colorado Building Advisory Committee.
Regardless, the GOP has taken action to correct this injustice. The Legislature’s Executive Committee ordered the portrait removed and secured storage until a more accurate representation can be displayed.
The artist, Sarah Boardman, claimed her depictions of both Obama and Trump were intended to be “apolitical,” yet the results speak for themselves.
Visitors to the Capitol had noted that Trump’s portrait looked “chubby” compared to other presidential paintings, confirming that the President’s complaints about unfair representation were justified.
Once again, President Trump has stood up against the left’s attempts to diminish him, resulting in another win for fair representation of conservative leaders in public institutions.
