Mysterious ‘Dictator Approved’ sculpture on National Mall in DC references Trump
A sculpture portraying a large “thumbs up” gesture squashing the Statue of Liberty’s head appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., days after the military parade, according to photos on social media.
Etched across the pedestal on which the statue sits are the words “Dictator Approved” in a large font, photos show. Four quotes — by Vladimir Putin, Jair Bolsonaro, Kim Jong Un and Viktor Orban — praising President Donald Trump appear in engraved plates on each side of the base.
Photos shared by Joe Flood on X, formerly known as Twitter, show the sculpture in front of the U.S. Capitol.
“President Trump ‘is a very bright and talented man,’” a quote by Putin on the display read.
“We do have a great deal of shared values. I admire President Donald Trump,” another quote from Bolsonaro on the display read.
The purpose of the sculpture is to foreground the similarities of imagery featured in the June 14 military parade and imagery seen in “autocratic, oppressive regimes,” according to a copy of the sculpture’s permit shared with McClatchy News.
The public’s response to the sculpture so far has been “pretty mixed,” a security guard told the Washingtonian.
The permit listed a person “in charge” of the display, but it was unclear what group was behind it. Contact information was marked out from public view on the permit.
It will be on view until 5 p.m. June 22, according to the permit.
The display is in a similar location as an unusual sculpture that cropped up in October of a large poop pile on a desk, referencing attacks on the Capitol that happened Jan. 6, 2021.
The permit for that sculpture was filed by Civic Crafted LLC, but did not identify an artist on the display, Reuters reported. It is unclear if the two sculptures are related.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 6:25 PM.
