US President Donald Trump is calling for the removal of his portrait from the Colorado state Capitol, claiming the painting was “purposefully distorted” to make him look bad. Trump also said he had received complaints about the image from his supporters.
The portrait, painted during Trump’s first term in office, was unveiled in 2019. It was commissioned after Colorado Republicans raised over $10,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. The oil painting was created by Sarah Boardman, the same artist who painted the Capitol’s portrait of former President Barack Obama.
At the time of its unveiling, a Trump supporter remarked that the portrait “does him great justice.” However, Trump now strongly disagrees. He took to social media on March 24, 2025, to air his frustrations.
Trump’s complains
On Sunday night of March 23rd, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, expressing his dissatisfaction with the portrait:
“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 added that he would prefer to have no portrait at all rather than the current one hanging in the Capitol.
Reactions
The portrait remained in place as of Monday morning. Boardman has not responded to requests for comment, but she previously told The Denver Post that her goal was to make her depictions of both Obama and Trump appear “apolitical.”
Meanwhile, Shelby Wieman, a spokesperson for Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis, responded with a light-hearted remark:
“We appreciate the President and everyone’s interest in our Capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.”
It remains to be seen whether Trump’s demand will lead to the portrait’s removal or any changes to the Capitol’s artwork collection.
