Republicans Still Planning To Hang Trump Portrait At Colorado Capitol

Neither the recent election results nor Trump’s ongoing controversies have prompted Colorado Republicans to reconsider their plan to place a portrait of Trump in Colorado’s Capitol rotunda.

The Denver Post’s Anna Staver reported last week that Republican State Senate President Kevin Grantham of Canon City hopes the portrait will be on a Capitol wall with other presidential portraits before the 2019 legislative session starts Jan. 4.

Grantham was the key figure in a successful GoFundMe fundraising effort to create the Trump likeness, saying at the time that Trump is a “populist,” and all citizens should have the opportunity to donate.  About $10,000 was raised from 216 donors

The Republicans’ state senate spokesman Sean Paige did not return a call yesterday seeking to find out if any Republican lawmakers had expressed qualms about hanging the portrait in light of the recent election–as well as the escalating controversies involving the president, including special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Also unanswered is the question, have Republicans considered delaying the Trump portrait-project until the Mueller investigation is complete?

Asked if Republicans are obliged to hang the Trump portrait, or if it’s just a tradition, Jay Sellers, Director of Arts for Colorado, told the Colorado Times Recorder back in July that he was not aware of “any law that requires us to hang a president’s portrait in the Capitol.”

If Republicans changed their minds about hanging the portrait, the artist would still get her money, said Sellers.

Colorado Springs artist Sarah Boardman continues to paint the Trump portrait, according to The Post.

Boardman also painted a portrait of Barack Obama for the Capitol rotunda,  where portraits of U.S. presidents adorn the walls.

Colorado Citizens for Culture accepted the private donations for the project, due to its political nature, said Sellers.

CORRECTION: This post previously stated, incorrectly, that Boardman painted a portrait of George W. Bush for the Capitol. She painted one of Bush, but not for the Capitol.