In a Truth Social post complaining about the portrait, Trump blames Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. A Republican state senator led efforts to get the painting up.
DENVER — A day after President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social account to blame Colorado’s governor for a “distorted” portrait displayed in the state Capitol, House Democrats said in a statement that the painting would be taken down.
The portrait was painted by artist Sarah Boardman during Trump’s first term and unveiled in 2019. Colorado Republicans raised more than $10,000 through a GoFundMe account to commission the oil painting.
“Republican leadership asked for it to be taken down,” House Democrats spokesperson Jarrett Freedman said in a statement Monday. “The Speaker and Majority Leader are focused on keeping Coloradans safe and reducing costs, not hanging portraits. If the GOP wants to spend time and money on which portrait of Trump hangs in the Capitol, then that’s up to them.”
In his post on Sunday, 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 called on Democratic Gov. Jared Polis “to take it down.”
“Jared should be ashamed of himself!” the post said.
The portraits are under the purview of the Colorado Building Advisory Committee.
In a statement to 9NEWS on Sunday night, a spokesperson for the governor said, “Gov. Polis 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. We appreciate the President and everyone’s interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.”
Trump’s post complained about the artist, who also did former President Barack Obama’s portrait at the Capitol.
“The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst,” Trump wrote. “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, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain.”
Back in 2018, the group Colorado Citizens for Culture typically collected donations for presidential portraits in the Capitol. In July of that year, 9NEWS reported the group had received $0 of the $10,000 needed for a portrait of Trump.
That space at the Capitol made international headlines that month, when a political activist placed a portrait of Russian president Vladimir Putin in the space where Trump’s portrait would go.
Republican-led efforts to get Trump’s painting hung on the Colorado Capitol wall began that summer. Republican State Sen. Kevin Grantham raised $10,000 in a few hours on GoFundMe for the portrait.
The painting, which was approved by Colorado Republicans, was put up in August 2019 at an event hosted by the Colorado Senate Republicans and artist Sarah A. Boardman. The unveiling event was described as nonpartisan in a Facebook post.
“Whether this portrait brings a smile or scowl to your face, remember you have the right to do so because this is the United States of America,” Grantham told 9NEWS about the portrait back in 2019.
9NEWS reached out to Grantham and will update this story when we hear back.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.