This week, a fresh portrait of President Trump was unveiled at the Colorado State Capitol, replacing one he slammed as “purposefully distorted.” The switch followed months of controversy and a direct complaint from Trump himself.
The original painting, created in 2019 by Sarah Boardman, was taken down in April after Trump publicly decried it as “the worst” and “purposely distorted,” while describing Barack Obama’s portrait as “wonderful.” In its place now hangs a sharper, more presidential image painted by Arizona-based Christian artist Vanessa Horabuena, donated by the White House and selected by the Capitol Building Advisory Committee.
Lois Court, committee chair, explained the decision: “There was a blank on the wall… the White House had sent us this replacement and it simply made sense to put it up.” Trump expressed gratitude to Horabuena and Coloradans via Truth Social.
Boardman defended her original work, emphasizing it met the commission and suffered no intentional distortion. Funding for her portrait came via a GOP-led GoFundMe organized by former state Senate President Kevin Grantham; it was created in a classical realist style to match the Capitol’s presidential gallery.
The new Horabuena portrait features a stern expression and gold border, reminiscent of Trump’s official White House image and 2023 mug shot portrait. Officials note it’s a temporary display, as the committee deliberates replacing all presidential portraits with former Colorado governors in celebration of the state’s 150th anniversary next year
