Trump's Colorado painting goes viral as he demands a repaint: ‘Obama’s looks wonderful, mine is the worst!’

US President Donald Trump has taken issue with his official portrait displayed in the Colorado State Capitol, calling it "purposefully distorted" and urging its removal. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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, 78, went on to compare his portrait to that of former President Barack Obama, which was painted by the same artist, Sarah Boardman. “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.”

Who Commissioned the Portrait?

Contrary to Trump’s claim that Governor Jared Polis was responsible for its placement, the portrait was actually commissioned through private donations. In 2018, Colorado Senate President Kevin Grantham, a Republican, launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $10,000 for the portrait, after a prank by a Democratic staffer briefly saw a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin placed in the gallery’s empty Trump slot.


The fundraising drive, featuring contributions from both Republicans and Democrats, successfully led to the painting's completion by Boardman. During the unveiling in 2019, Grantham called it “fitting that a populist such as the president would have the first crowdfunded campaign for a presidential portrait.”

Polis Responds

Governor Polis, a Democrat, responded to Trump’s attack with a statement that was both diplomatic and subtly humorous. “We appreciate the President and everyone’s interest in our Capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.” He also expressed surprise that Trump was “an aficionado” of the Capitol’s artwork.

Polis did not indicate whether the portrait would be removed.

A History of Portrait Disputes

Trump is far from the first president to dislike his own official portrait. Theodore Roosevelt famously despised his 1902 White House portrait, saying it made him look like a “mewing cat.” He later had it destroyed and commissioned a new one.

However, Trump has received at least one portrait he apparently approves of. According to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently gifted Trump a painting by a leading Russian artist, which Trump found “beautiful.”

Artistic Interpretation vs. Political Controversy

Boardman, the artist behind Trump’s portrait, had previously stated she aimed to create neutral, apolitical representations of presidents. At the unveiling, she noted, “In five, 10, 15, 20 years, he will be another President on the wall who is only historical background, and he needs to look neutral.”

Trump, however, sees the artwork differently, and the controversy over his portrait now mirrors his long history of feuding with critics over his image. Whether the painting remains in the Colorado State Capitol or is removed remains to be seen.