See the Portrait of Donald Trump in the Colorado State Capitol that He Says Was ‘Purposely Distorted’

Presidents, there just like us – at least when it comes to unflattering pictures.

Donald Trump called out the Democrat governor of Colorado over the weekend for allowing a portrait of him to hang in the State Capitol that he said is “purposely distorted.”

The Portrait

The president took to Truth Social late Sunday to criticize the painting and Gov. Jared Polis. “Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves,” Trump wrote. “[B]ut 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.”

You can see the portrait in question below:

Truth Social/Donald Trump

According to The Denver Post, the painting by artist Sarah Boardman hangs in the third-floor rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver as part of the Gallery of Presidents. “The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst,” Trump added. “She must have lost her talent as she got older.”

The president suggested he is not the only one unhappy with the depiction. “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,” he continued. “In fact, they are actually angry about it!”

He called on the governor to remove the painting. “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 concluded. “Jared should be ashamed of himself!”

The History

While the painting seemingly caught Trump’s attention in recent days, it has been hanging in the Gallery of Presidents since 2019. ABC New affiliate Denver7 reported the portrait was commissioned and paid for in 2018 after Republicans in the State Senate raised some $10,000 in donations to complete it. That means the project began before Polis was first elected in November of that year.

In a statement to Denver7, the governor’s office did not indicate the painting would be removed or replaced. “Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork,” a spokesperson said. “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.”

This is not the first time the gallery – or Trump’s presence in it – has made headlines. Before the portrait was unveiled at the end of Trump’s first term, a vandal snuck into the building and placed a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the spot reserved for the forty-fifth president.

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