Trump's Colorado portrait artist says career in jeopardy

The artist behind a portrait of President Trump that hung at the Colorado Capitol for six years says the president's comments are "negatively impacting" her business.

The portrait of Trump by Colorado Springs artist Sarah Boardman was removed last month after the president trashed the painting as "truly the worst" in a social media post and suggested it was intentionally distorted to make him look bad.

"(Boardman) must have lost her talent as she got older," he said on Truth Social.

Boardman said in a statement on her website that the portrait she was commissioned to do by the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee had been approved throughout her process.

"I completed the portrait accurately, without 'purposeful distortion,' political bias, or any attempt to caricature the subject, actual or implied. I fulfilled the task per my contract," she said in her statement.

She said she had received "overwhelmingly positive reviews and feedback" for the six years the portrait had hung in the Colorado State Capitol Building Rotunda, but that "has changed for the worst" since Trump's comments.

"President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are, but the additional allegations that I 'purposefully distorted' the portrait, and that I 'must have lost my talent as I got older' are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years which now is in danger of not recovering," Boardman said in her statement.

Trump posted about his disdain for the portrait last month and blamed Gov. Jared Polis (D), who was not in office when the artwork was commissioned and not involved in the 2019 unveiling a few months after he was sworn in.

"Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol … was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one."

Kevin Grantham (R), who was president of the state Senate when the portrait was commissioned and played a key role in ensuring Trump's likeness would join the other presidential paintings at the state Capitol, defended the artist. However, he supported the president's desire to have it removed.

Grantham, who is now a Fremont County, Colo., commissioner, spearheaded an online fundraiser in 2018 for the portrait. It raised enough to cover the $10,000 price tag in about 30 hours after a nonprofit group was unable to secure donations for the portrait during a wave of backlash against Trump during his first term. Grantham also took part in the artwork's unveiling ceremony in August 2019.

"I think how things were characterized were unfortunate," he said of suggestions about Trump's likeness being intentionally distorted or the artist's age having an impact on the work. "I'm still really proud of the effort that we put in to get those funds raised."