Denver: A portrait of former US President Donald Trump will be removed from the Colorado State Capitol following his claim that it was "purposefully distorted," according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

House Democrats stated that the oil painting would be taken down at the request of Republican leaders in the Legislature. Colorado Republicans had raised more than USD 10,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to commission the painting, which was unveiled in 2019.

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Republican, requested that Trump’s portrait be replaced with one "that depicts his contemporary likeness."

“If the GOP wants to spend time and money on which portrait of Trump hangs in the Capitol, that's up to them,” the Democrats said in a statement.

Controversy over the painting

The portrait was installed alongside paintings of other US presidents. Before its installation, a prankster placed an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin near the designated spot for Trump’s portrait.

Initially, objections arose over artist Sarah Boardman’s depiction of Trump as "nonconfrontational" and "thoughtful," as reported by the Colorado Times Recorder in 2019.

On Sunday night, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he would prefer no portrait at all over the one currently hanging in the Colorado Capitol. The Republican praised the nearby portrait of former President Barack Obama, also painted by Boardman, saying "he looks wonderful."

“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 wrote.

Decision-making process

The portraits in the Capitol are overseen by the Colorado Building Advisory Committee, not the governor’s office. Portraits up to and including former President Jimmy Carter were donated as a collection, while others were funded by political parties or external fundraising efforts.

The Legislature’s executive committee, which includes both Democratic and Republican leadership, signed a letter directing the removal of Trump’s portrait. Lundeen noted that Grover Cleveland, who served non-consecutive terms like Trump, had a portrait from his second term.

Artist’s perspective

In a 2019 interview with The Denver Post, Sarah Boardman stated that her portraits of both Obama and Trump were intended to be apolitical.

“There will always be dissent, so pleasing one group will always inflame another. I consider a neutrally thoughtful and nonconfrontational portrait allows everyone to reach their own conclusions in their own time,” Boardman told the Colorado Times Recorder.

Public reactions

Trump’s comments on Sunday prompted a steady stream of visitors posing for photos with the painting before the announcement of its removal.

Aaron Howe, visiting from Wyoming on Monday, stood in front of the portrait, comparing it with photos of Trump on his phone. “Honestly, he looks a little chubby,” Howe remarked, but added, “better than I could do.”

“I don’t know anything about the artist,” Howe, a Trump voter, said. “It could be taken one way or the other.”

Kaylee Williamson, an 18-year-old Trump supporter from Arkansas, also took a photo with the painting. “I think it looks like him. I guess he’s smoother than all the other ones. I think it’s fine,” she said.

AP