STREISAND EFFECT

Trump Goes After the Artist of His Least Favorite Presidential Portrait

The president claimed that the painting of him was “purposefully distorted.”

President Donald Trump hated an obscure portrait of himself—so he shared it with the world.

The president went on a Truth Social tantrum Sunday night over a five-year-old portrait of him on display at the Colorado State Capitol that he claimed was “purposefully distorted” to a level “never seen before.”

The portrait was done by Sarah Boardman, a Colorado Springs artist who also produced the painting of former President Barack Obama that sits next to Trump’s, according to Colorado Politics.

“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves,” Trump said. “The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older. In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one.”

Trump said “many people” from Colorado had called and written to complain about the portrait, which he urged Governor Jared Polis to take down: “Jared should be ashamed of himself!”

A spokesperson for Polis told Denver-based 9NEWS that the governor was “surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork.”

“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,” the spokesperson said. “We appreciate the President and everyone’s interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.”

But it was the people of Colorado themselves who banded together to get the portrait up in the first place.

The portrait of Trump at the Hall of Presidential Portraits on the third floor of the Colorado State Capitol was unveiled in August 2019, according to a CBS Colorado report at the time.

The space for Trump’s portrait was empty for a time until pranksters put in a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It was later revealed that an aide to then-Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran allowed an activist to gain access to the State Capitol through an entrance reserved for employees.

This prompted former Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham to set up a fundraiser for Trump’s portrait.

“Within less than 36 hours, 216 contributions came in, totaling over the $10,000 necessary to put this portrait in its place,” Grantham said at the unveiling.

The portrait was also supported by former Democratic State Rep. Dan Pabon.

“Whether we disagree with them, whether we didn’t like how history treated them, whether we didn’t think that their own present time treated them well, doesn’t mean that those portraits don’t belong here,” Pabon said at the time.

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Julia OrnedoReporter

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