Trump statue burns in Slovenia. It’s not the first time his statues popped up abroad

A wooden statue portraying President Donald Trump as a vampire was set on fire Thursday in Slovenia, the birthplace of Melania Trump, according to multiple reports.

The 26-foot statue featured Trump with one arm raised like the Statue of Liberty, and it included a mechanism that opened the mouth and caused the teeth to appear. The fire destroyed the statue, which was unveiled last year by artist Tomaz Schlegl.

Police are currently looking for the arsonist.

The local mayor told The Associated Press the destruction “is symbol [sic] of intolerance toward artistic projects in our society.”

Trump statues have popped up in various countries since he was elected. A shopping center in China featured a giant rooster with his signature hairstyle in 2016 to celebrate the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese zodiac. The shopping center followed up with a Trump dog the following year.

A 16-foot statue of Trump sitting on a golden toilet popped up in London last June ahead of his state visit. The statue cost $25,000 and included audio of the president saying phrases such as “no collusion” and “fake news.”

A series of sculptures depicting a nude Trump also made the rounds in the U.S. The statues claimed by the art collective Indecline appeared in Cleveland, San Francisco, New York City and Seattle.

This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Trump statue burns in Slovenia. It’s not the first time his statues popped up abroad."