"Much Better Off Without It": Trump’s Open Criticism Leads to Portrait Replacement

A New Portrait Hung in the Colorado State Capitol
Depicts Trump Staring Straight Ahead Like His Official Presidential Photograph

The portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump in the Colorado State Capitol, which he had openly criticized, has been replaced with a new one.

According to U.S. political magazine The Hill and Fox News on July 2 (local time), a new portrait of President Trump, approved for display by the White House, was recently hung in the Colorado State Capitol.

Previously, in March, President Trump publicly criticized the existing portrait on the social media platform Truth Social. He stated, "That painting was intentionally distorted to a level I have never seen before," and expressed strong dissatisfaction, saying, "It would be much better to have no portrait at all than to have this one." He even compared his portrait to the one of former President Barack Obama, which hangs next to his, saying that Obama's portrait "looks great." Both portraits were painted by the same artist.

New portrait of President Donald Trump newly hung in the Colorado State Capitol. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The previous portrait had been on display for six years, after the Colorado Republican Party raised $11,000 in 2019 to commission it. However, after President Trump voiced his complaints, a decision was quickly made to remove it. In the new portrait, which appeared just a few months later, President Trump looks significantly older than in the previous one. He is depicted tilting his head slightly downward while looking directly ahead with his eyes raised, a pose similar to his official presidential photograph released at the start of his second term.

The new portrait was painted by Vanessa Horabuena from Tempe, Arizona. It is reported that President Trump requested a gold frame around the portrait so that it would shine when it catches the light.

The existing portrait that had been hanging for 6 years. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The advisory committee for the Colorado State Capitol building will discuss until September which of the two portraits will be displayed permanently.

Meanwhile, Sarah Boardman, the British artist who painted President Trump's previous portrait, is said to have suffered significant damage to her business due to President Trump's public criticism. She argued that her portrait of Trump was "historically neutral." She also stated, "His comments are negatively affecting the business I have built over the past 41 years."