It’s time for another one of my favorite gossip sub-genres: people arguing about art/portraiture and whether certain paintings of famous people are “good” or “insulting.” I still laugh whenever I think about that shockingly good “blood king” Jonathan Yeo painting of King Charles. I also love the completely haunting and soul-capturing Paul Emsley painting of the current Princess of Wales, even if Kate hated it and had it shuffled off to storage. Well, it looks like Donald Trump is bigly mad about a portrait which hangs in the Colorado State Capitol. The painting was done by Sarah Boardman. Boardman captured something, making him look particularly soft and frumpy, sort of like the “husky boy CEO” version of Trump. The real Trump is more jowly, ghoulish and foul-looking, so he should have taken this as a win. He has not.
President Donald Trump is calling for a portrait of him to be removed from a gallery almost six years after the artist unveiled it. On Sunday, March 23, Trump, 78, shared a photograph on Truth Social of the portrait by artist Sarah Boardman that hangs in the third-floor rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver, in the Gallery of Presidents, per The Denver Post.
“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. “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.”
Trump claimed he’s not the only person who has found issues with the portrait since it was hung in 2019, and went on to call out Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
“In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain,” Trump continued. “In fact, they are actually angry about it! I am speaking on their behalf to the Radical Left Governor, Jared Polis, who is extremely weak on Crime, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don’t worry, we saved it!), to take it down. Jared should be ashamed of himself!” Trump concluded.
He didn’t explain why he suddenly decided to voice his opinions on the portrait despite it having initially been unveiled during his first stint in the White House.
What was striking about that asinine “accidentally putting the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief on the war-plan chat” story was that Trump’s national security team does not consult with him whatsoever, and they seemingly have free rein to just go off and do their wingnut sh-t and Trump isn’t paying attention. We knew that already, that Trump was just a mostly-absent, senile figurehead for all of these right-wing sh-theads. But it’s more pronounced right now – that Trump is just farting around all day, complaining about paintings and golfing while everyone in his administration busies themselves with dismantling the government, starting wars and crashing planes.
Photo of the portrait, courtesy of Trump’s Truth Social post. Additional photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- United States President Donald Trump speaks in front of a group of Tesla vehicles with Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. on March 11, 2025. President Trump has said he will buy a Tesla to support Tesla and Elon Musk after recent attacks on Tesla charging stations and calls for boycotts of Tesla products. Featuring: Donald J Trump Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 11 Mar 2025 Credit: Samuel Corum/POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- President Donald Trump during his meeting with Mark Rutte, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Oval Office of the White House Featuring: President Donald Trump Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 13 Mar 2025 Credit: Yuri Gripas/POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
So sad lol. I don’t think it’s orange enough.
It looks a bit like that blob fish that looks like it has been deflated. But in the end the portrait looks way better than the original fascist carrot.
The painting of FPOTUS Obama looks like him but is not flattering at all. The painting of the complainer is flattering
This coming from a guy who has his literal mug shot from when he was ARRESTED hanging in the West Wing. I don’t know what he’s got his Depends in a twist over, I think the artist flattered Trump in this painting.
First time I saw this I thought it was a parody and someone was painting the offspring of Elon and Trump, and the result just happens to have Vances head shape.
But y’know, I’m no artist.
I don’t see anything wrong the portrait. I think it’s captured his essence perfectly. His problem is he sees too many of those MAGA-made AI images of him and believes that’s the way he actually looks.
This is just going to provoke a ton artists to create even more unflattering, completely accurate, “warts and all” portraits, isn’t it? And I am f–king HERE FOR IT.
@Miranda Me too!
There is no photograph or portrait that he will look good in. He’s jowly, ugly and orange. Anything he’s unhappy with brings me joy.
Speaking of the signal chat, JD Vance said that he doesn’t think Trump even understands what’s going on. He’s having to backpedal a bit to appease the Cheeto, but I’m guessing everyone knows he’s a senile figurehead (except Stephen Miller).
I absolutely LOVED the bloody king painting and would pay tens and tens of dollars to have one of me. In his painting, tRump looks like that kid from the “Recess” cartoon
Many people from Colorado have called to complain?? Another of a long string of lies. I’m guessing the HE is the only one complaining. And a diss to the female artist, “she must have lost her talent as she grew older” . Gotta reference her age. He likes them young and blond and busty, so getting older is forbidden, I guess.
Of course he’s the only one complaining. He is the most thin-skinned man-baby I can think of. The fact that he doesn’t know or care that, as actual POTUS, he should have have better things to worry about is horrifying.
It looks better than the real Donnie but hey – screaming about this deflects a bit from the security breach mess.
Colorado here.
No complaints from anyone at all. Donny hearing voices again. And we are very happy with Jared Polis, thankyouverymuch.
Meh. Lately Jared Polis has been incredibly disappointing. I used to really like him, but it appears that he is “bending the knee” and his true colors are starting to show. He’s just a really rich guy who wants to benefit other really rich guys. None of them care about us.
Is he mad it’s not orange enough or something?
I mentioned this over on BlueSky….it looks like a mash up of DT and Lindsey Graham.
Def not a flattering portrait, but to go and complain in public, put down the artist, and take the opportunity to air grievances of those who won’t kiss his ass? He is such a man baby.
I think it’s incredibly flattering when compared to the OG subject matter
For sh*ts and giggles, I recently made up a parody AI image of an orange Trump shrobed in a purple leopard print floor length fur coat, a kitsch asf orb and sceptre 70’s p*rn star lewk, *bathing* in the gold held in the USA Federal Reserve taking a selfie of himself trying to hold up 1 gold bar
I was bored on set
All I got from his complaining was that he thinks Obama is a hottie.
I had to google the Obama painting. And I mean, they both look like the subjects. If Trump feels that Obama’s looks so much better, yeah, it’s not Obama’s fault he is good looking. Him complaining feels like if I complained that the same painterr did portraits with me and Lupita and hers looked better. Of course it would! She is Lupita and I am a mere mortal.
I try not to complain publicly about my *personal* fears with this administration because mine are so minor and unimportant in the scheme of things. The LGBTQ community, women’s rights, planet earth, WWIII etc, we have so much BIGGER things to worry about. And I do spend a lot of time worrying about the big picture.
But to be frank, I am also scared for me too. I’m sure that is true of many people.
The economy tanking as I am in the process of divorcing is scary to me. I am worried for my future stability. Again, it’s not all about me and I know that, but when I am alone in my kitchen it also IS about me so I can’t help but worry about that too. It’s rather enraging to be worrying about the entire coutry burning to the ground as a whole, and what scariness awaits me as an individiual, and then read the man in charge is worried about an unfaltering painting hanging in a building in Colorado that he doesn’t even have to look at. We are living in absolutely nutty times.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/15/gina-rinehart-demands-national-gallery-of-australia-remove-her-portrait
Another rich person who disliked seeing herself painted.
If the character is in the eye of the beholder, the artist gets to make a statement.
That is an interesting article. TY for sharing.
We need to have a contest. Who can make a portrait of Trump that pisses him off the most? That should keep him busy for…a whole week?
First, it’s ridiculous that the POTUS is even aware of the particular painting of him put up in the Colorado state capital (and, by the way, funded by MAGA fans). It really shows his priorities and how much he is really involved in his own presidency (i.e. not at all). Same with the fact that he has said that he will host the Kennedy Centre awards – an actual president would not have the time to do that, they would be too busy!
As a parent, I recognize this strategy. This is giving your toddler the important job of decorating the driveway with chalk to greet Grandma when she visits while you clean the house and prep supper. The awful bros running the WH gave Donnie some light makework stuff to keep him occupied while they make the actual decisions about the budget, federal services, and military targets.
Isn’t this the Streisand effect? Millions and millions of people have now seen this unflattering painting. If he’d kept his baby mouth shut few of us would even know it existed. He can’t help himself.
He looks like a dipshit.
I don’t believe Trump wrote most of the post about the artist and creation–it is too literate and even-handed. The last nasty line, “She must have lost her talent as she got older” is the only words I believe he dictated. Ageist, sexist, mean to the bone. That’s our president.
Putin’s ball-gargler doesn’t like portrait of him swishing Putin’s balls around his jowls. Sad!
Does Trump avoid mirrors? Bc he technically looks better in the portrait than real life. I have really bad vision and wear glasses. I must confess at 44 I only look in the mirror when I’m not wearing glasses or contacts. I look early 30s easy…do I really? No, of course not. Am I shocked when I catch a full light glimpse with my contacts in? Yes. Is my make going on that well? Probably not. But hey, to me, I’m hot stuff, lol.