Overview

• Donald Trump criticized Sarah Boardman's official portrait of him, calling it 'purposefully distorted' and 'truly the worst,' which led to its removal from the Colorado State Capitol in late March 2025.
• Boardman has publicly denied the accusations, emphasizing that the portrait was approved by the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee throughout its creation process.
• The artist stated that the controversy has severely harmed her 41-year career, with her business now at risk of not recovering due to the backlash following Trump's comments.
• The portrait, which hung in the Capitol Rotunda for six years and initially received positive feedback, is now in storage, with discussions about a potential replacement underway but no decisions finalized.
• Trump unfavorably compared his portrait to Boardman's depiction of Barack Obama, which he described as 'wonderful,' further fueling public attention on the issue.