The latest battle in the ongoing war against Trump isn't happening in a courtroom; it's happening in the halls of the Colorado State Capitol, where a controversial portrait has become the center of attention after Trump himself called it out for being "purposefully distorted."
"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 said in a post on Truth Social.
The portrait, painted by Colorado Springs artist Sarah Boardman in 2019, has drawn Trump's ire for what he perceives as intentionally unflattering artistic liberties. And he's not wrong. One look at the portrait and you'll see why Trump is justified in his criticism.
"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." -Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/u1Gwqp5Svv
— Matt Margolis (@mattmargolis) March 24, 2025
Trump argued that the artist’s portrait of Barack Obama is more flattering.
"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 wrote.
Does Obama's portrait really look wonderful?
Since he brought it up, here are the portraits of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, painted by British-born artist and Colorado Springs resident Sarah Boardman, which hang in the Colorado State Capitol in Denver 🎨 https://t.co/MjgcNb8Imv pic.twitter.com/cvLFh9CKYR
— Bad Fox Graphics (@BadFoxGraphics) March 24, 2025
I don’t think it’s a great portrait of Obama either. While it’s easy to tell who is being portrayed in each painting, both are similarly flawed. I’ve spent a little time looking at images of both portraits, and there’s something off about both of them. Obama’s may be slightly better, but it also may depend on the lighting. It’s clear the artist tried to soften Trump’s features a bit, and some darker shadows might have helped.
Is it as bad as the infamous “scary” statue of Lucille Ball? No.
Here's the kicker: it wasn't even Democrats who put up this portrait. A Republican state senator led the fundraising efforts to get it displayed in 2019. Nevertheless, Trump doesn’t want the portrait on display.
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“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. In fact, they are actually angry about it!” Trump said. “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!”
It does not sound like Polis will take the portrait down.
“Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork,” a spokesman for the governor told The Hill. “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.”
The artist claims she based the portrait on a photo that was "consistent" with other presidential portraits showing a "serious, non-confrontational, thoughtful" expression.
I'll tell you one thing: more people will see the portrait because Trump made an issue of it than if he'd said nothing at all.
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