Overview

• The eight-foot sculpture portrays a gold hand crushing the Statue of Liberty’s head and bears quotes from Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán, Kim Jong Un and Jair Bolsonaro praising President Trump.
• Organizers obtained a National Park Service permit under the name Mary Harris to display the piece through June 22 without disclosing the artist’s true identity.
• Abigail Jackson argued that the statue’s presence highlights the contrast between free expression in the United States and censorship in dictatorial regimes.
• Reactions among Mall visitors have ranged from viewing the work as a stark warning about authoritarian trends to dismissing it as an eyesore.
• The installation follows a series of protest art pieces on the National Mall, including last October’s sculpture satirizing former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.