President Donald Trump just called out Colorado in a fiery social media post, slamming a portrait of himself in the state Capitol’s President’s Gallery as a “purposefully distorted” abomination—and he’s pointing the finger at Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. Trump vented, “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. The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst.” He added that Coloradoans are “angry” and demanded Polis “take it down,” accusing him of being “extremely weak on crime,” especially with Tren de Aragua in Aurora, per The Independent. The portrait, painted by Sarah Boardman in 2019, was commissioned by Colorado Republicans for $10,000 via GoFundMe before Polis took office, per Colorado Politics.
The portrait:
Trump’s reaction:
The reactions are pouring in, and they’re hilarious. @amuse on X noted, “Kirsten Savage was able to paint Biden just fine – but evidently it is very hard for registered Democrats to paint Trump…”, highlighting Boardman’s history with Democratic figures like Obama, per The Independent.
Trump’s not wrong to suspect bias—post-2016, AP’s photo library often used unflattering shots of him, a trend conservatives have long called out. While Polis’s office told 9News he was “surprised” Trump noticed the artwork, the governor’s 2023 law cracking down on gangs like Tren de Aragua counters Trump’s crime jab, per Colorado Senate records. Still, Aurora Police and the DEA say the gang’s presence is overstated, per auroragov.org.
For Trump supporters, this is a call to action. The portrait, part of a tradition since 1905 to display all U.S. presidents in the Capitol, per Colorado Historical Society, shouldn’t be a hit piece. Web reports from TIME confirm the unveiling, while X users demand, “Tear it down—Polis can’t disrespect Trump!” Check the photos—this isn’t art, it’s an insult, and Trump’s not standing for it.
