Trump's Capitol Portrait Debacle: A Tale of Art, Politics, and Controversy
A portrait of former President Donald Trump, unveiled in 2019 at the Colorado State Capitol, has been removed following his public criticism, where he called it "purposefully distorted" and "truly the worst."
The artwork, painted by renowned artist Sarah A. Boardman, sparked a political firestorm, with Trump linking his dissatisfaction to broader criticisms of Colorado Governor Jared Polis's crime policies.
In a striking blend of art and politics, a portrait of former President Donald Trump, which had hung in the Colorado State Capitol since its unveiling in 2019, has been taken down after Trump publicly decried it as "purposefully distorted" and "truly the worst." The painting, part of the Capitol's Gallery of Presidents, became the center of a heated controversy that intertwined Trump's personal grievances with his political attacks on Colorado's leadership, specifically targeting Governor Jared Polis.
The portrait's journey began with an unusual twist. In 2018, the space reserved for Trump's likeness in the Capitol's third-floor rotunda sat empty—until a prankster, aided by a progressive group and a former House Speaker's aide, briefly placed a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin in its stead. The stunt, which caused a stir, prompted Colorado Republicans to launch a crowdfunding campaign, raising over $10,000 to commission an official oil painting of Trump. The effort, spearheaded by former Senate President Kevin Grantham, was celebrated as a "populist" move, with contributions ranging from $5 to $500. Grantham noted at the unveiling, "Whether this portrait brings a smile or a scowl to your face, remember that you have the right to do so because this is the United States of America."
The artist behind the portrait, Sarah A. Boardman, is no stranger to high-profile commissions. Boardman, born in England, has a distinguished career in portraiture, having trained under an "Alt Meister" in Germany in 1985, where she mastered the techniques of the Old Master Painters, focusing on classical realism and detail. She won the nationwide "Call for Artists" competition by Denver State to paint the official portraits of both President Barack Obama and Trump for the Colorado State Capitol, following the death of Lawrence Williams, who had painted the previous 43 presidential portraits. Boardman’s portrait of Obama, unveiled earlier, earned her the 2019 Portrait Society award and widespread praise for its thoughtful execution. At the time of Trump’s unveiling in 2019, Boardman described her approach to his portrait as "thoughtful, non-confrontational, not angry, not happy, not tweeting," aiming for a neutral depiction that would stand the test of time as historical background.
However, Trump’s reaction to the portrait in March 2025 was anything but neutral. In a scathing statement on March 23, 2025, he expressed his dismay, saying, "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." He contrasted it with Boardman’s portrait of Obama, which he admitted "looks wonderful," speculating that the artist "must have lost her talent as she got older." Trump’s comments didn’t stop at the artwork—he used the opportunity to lambast Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, calling him "radical" and "extremely weak on crime," particularly in relation to the Tren de Aragua gang’s activities in Aurora, Colorado.
The Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang linked to crimes across the U.S., became a focal point of Trump’s broader critique. In Aurora, surveillance footage of gunmen entering apartments went viral in 2024, prompting the city’s mayor, Mike Coffman, to claim the gang had "infiltrated" various apartment buildings. Trump, during his 2024 presidential campaign, had highlighted these incidents to underscore his stance on illegal immigration, maintaining that parts of Aurora were controlled by the gang. The Aurora Police Department, however, challenged these claims, stating that reports of the gang’s influence were "isolated." Nevertheless, the Department of Homeland Security reported that ICE arrested 68 members of Tren de Aragua on March 21, 2025, as part of raids targeting the gang’s activities, which included theft, drug distribution, and sextortion across multiple states.
Trump’s demand for the portrait’s removal was swiftly met. On March 24, 2025, the Colorado General Assembly ordered the painting to be taken down and placed in storage, following significant public discourse. A committee of leaders from both parties agreed to the removal, with a spokesman for Colorado’s House Democrats noting it would be kept in a secure location "until further notice." The decision came despite the portrait’s origins being unrelated to Governor Polis—it was a Republican-led initiative. A spokesman for Polis expressed surprise at Trump’s interest in the Capitol’s artwork, stating, "We appreciate the president and everyone’s interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience."
The controversy highlights the intersection of art, politics, and public perception. Boardman, who has yet to respond to Trump’s criticism, had previously defended the inclusion of all presidential portraits in the Capitol’s rotunda, stating in 2019, "Being president is the qualification for entry into the gallery, and I respect that qualification on face value as I did with the portrait of President Obama." Her career, marked by a passion for capturing the "personality, character, and soul" of her subjects, includes five presidential portraits and works featuring distinguished U.S. military members and a District Court Judge, reflecting her global travels and classical training.
As the portrait saga unfolded, an unexpected development emerged: Trump received a new portrait as a personal gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Described by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff as a "beautiful portrait" by a leading Russian artist, the artwork has not been publicly revealed, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noting that only Putin could disclose further details. The gift added an ironic twist to the Colorado controversy, which had initially been sparked by a Putin prank.
Ultimately, the removal of Trump’s portrait from the Colorado State Capitol underscores the challenges of depicting polarizing figures in public spaces. As Robert Anderson, who painted President George W. Bush’s official portrait for the U.S. National Portrait Gallery, noted, reactions to such artworks often have "very little to do with the quality of art" and more to do with the viewer’s feelings about the subject. For Trump, whose self-image has long been a point of focus—he unveiled an official portrait in January 2025 that critics described as "serious" or "ominous"—the Colorado painting struck a nerve, turning a piece of art into a political lightning rod. Whether the new Russian portrait will meet his approval remains to be seen, but for now, the Colorado Capitol’s Gallery of Presidents is one portrait lighter.