An anti-Trump sculpture titled “Dictator Approved” has been installed on the National Mall, igniting backlash from both political observers and the White House.
The gold-painted, 8-foot artwork features a thumbs-up hand crushing the Statue of Liberty’s crown, with plaques quoting authoritarian leaders who have publicly praised Donald Trump.
The installation, permitted by the National Park Service, coincided with Trump’s June 14 military parade marking the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and his 79th birthday. Organisers of the artwork say it was intended to criticise what they described as “imagery similar to autocratic, oppressive regimes.”
Each side of the sculpture’s base features direct quotes, including Vladimir Putin calling Trump “a very bright and talented man,” Viktor Orbán describing him as “the most respected,” Jair Bolsonaro admiring their “shared values,” and Kim Jong Un citing “extraordinary courage.”
In response, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated: “If these Democrat activists were living in a dictatorship, their eye-sore of a sculpture wouldn’t be sitting on the National Mall right now.”
She added, “In the United States of America you have the freedom to display your so-called ‘art,’ no matter how ugly it is.”
The statue is authorised to remain in place through Sunday.
