Second mysterious sculpture referencing Trump appears in DC, a week after first
A new 8-foot-tall sculpture featuring a video art loop of a dancing President Donald Trump has cropped up on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — the second sculpture referencing the president to appear in that spot this month.
The sculpture portrays a gold television broadcasting the continuous video on top of a pedestal with a plaque that reads, “‘In the United States of America you have the freedom to display your so-called ‘art,’ no matter how ugly it is.’ — The Trump White House, June 2025,” according to photos.
The quote comes from a comment the White House said to the Washington Post while responding to a different sculpture that appeared days after the June 14 military parade and depicted a “thumbs up” gesture crushing the Statue of Liberty’s head.
It included quotes by Vladimir Putin, Jair Bolsonaro, Kim Jong Un and Viktor Orban praising Trump and had the words “Dictator Approved” inscribed in a large font, McClatchy News reported.
The purpose of the new display is to “demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery,” according to a permit for the artwork the National Park Service shared with McClatchy News on June 27.
It’s still a mystery as to who is responsible for the sculptures. The same name is listed on both permits but does not include contact information.
In a response to the new display, shared with the Washington Post, a spokesperson for the White House called the persons responsible “liberal activists masquerading as ‘artists.’”
“I’ve tricked them into taking down their ugly sculpture and replacing it with a beautiful video of the President’s legendary dance moves that will bring joy and inspiration to all tourists traversing our National Mall,” the spokesperson said.
The new sculpture will be on view through June 29, according to the permit.
