New Trump portrait replaces ‘distorted’ painting at Colorado State Capitol

The Colorado state Capitol has made a bold move by replacing a controversial portrait of former President Donald Trump that had been the subject of months of backlash. The original painting, created by Colorado artist Sarah Boardman, had been on display since 2019 but faced criticism from Trump himself who claimed that it was purposely distorted by the artist.

In response to the controversy, a new presidential portrait was recently donated by the White House and installed at the Denver Capitol last week. The new artwork, created by Arizona artist Vanessa Horabuena, closely mirrors Trump’s official presidential photo and has been met with approval from the former president.

Horabuena, who describes herself as a “Christian worship artist,” has created several other depictions of Trump as well as other notable figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Mount Rushmore, and Jesus Christ. While Boardman declined to comment on the new painting, Trump expressed his gratitude to Horabuena and the people of Colorado for the new portrait.

The decision to replace the controversial painting was made by the Capitol Building Advisory Committee, which oversees art displays at the Capitol. The committee agreed to temporarily display the donated portrait and will consider the disposition of the full presidential portrait collection at a future meeting.

Former state lawmaker Lois Court, who chairs the committee, defended the decision to install the new artwork, stating that it was the right move to fill the blank space on the wall left by the removal of Boardman’s painting. The decision to remove Boardman’s portrait was made in April after Colorado Democrats, who control the legislature, agreed to take it down at the request of local Republican leaders.

Trump had previously criticized Boardman’s painting as “purposefully distorted” and claimed that she had lost her talent as she got older. He compared his portrait to that of former President Barack Obama, noting that Obama’s portrait looked wonderful while his own was “truly the worst.”

The installation of the new portrait marks the end of a chapter of controversy at the Colorado state Capitol and serves as a fresh start for the presidential portrait collection. The new artwork by Horabuena has been well-received and brings a sense of unity and respect to the Capitol’s gallery.