The Former President's Unhappy Portrait

The former president of the United States, Donald Trump, has recently expressed his displeasure with a portrait of himself. This artwork is displayed in the Gallery of Presidents at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. The portrait, created by artist Sarah Boardman, has been hanging there since 2019. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to voice his complaints. Trump did not hold back his criticism. He described the portrait as "purposefully distorted" and claimed it was the worst depiction of him he had ever seen. He even suggested that the artist might have lost her talent over time, as he compared his portrait to the one she painted of former President Barack Obama. Trump found Obama's portrait to be much more flattering. The former president also mentioned that he is not alone in his dislike for the portrait. Many people from Colorado have reached out to him, expressing their anger and disappointment with the artwork. Trump decided to speak on their behalf, calling out Colorado Governor Jared Polis. He urged Polis to remove the portrait from the gallery. Trump's sudden outburst about the portrait raised some eyebrows. After all, the artwork was unveiled back in 2019, during his first term as president. Why did he choose to speak up about it now? Some might argue that Trump is using this opportunity to criticize Polis, a Democrat, and score political points. The story of Trump's portrait does not end with his complaints. Back in 2018, a political activist managed to sneak into the Capitol building and place a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the spot where Trump's was supposed to hang. This stunt sparked a fundraising campaign led by former Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham. The campaign aimed to raise money for an official portrait of Trump, which was eventually unveiled in 2019. Boardman, the artist behind the controversial portrait, has previously stated that her personal political views do not influence her work. She focuses on capturing the likeness and essence of her subjects. Despite Trump's criticism, Boardman has not publicly responded to his comments. The Colorado Governor's office was taken aback by Trump's post. A spokesperson for Polis expressed surprise and mentioned that they are always looking for ways to improve the visitor experience at the Capitol building. It remains to be seen whether Polis will heed Trump's call to remove the portrait.