A towering gold statue of Donald Trump was unveiled at the president’s golf course in Doral, Florida, during an emotionally charged ceremony presided over by an Evangelical pastor.
Placed on a pedestal in a clearing of palm trees, the 22‑foot colossus depicts the president thrusting his fist into the air, echoing his defiant gesture after the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.
At Wednesday’s dedication ceremony, pastor Mark Burns — a member of Pastors for Trump — spoke at a podium. “Let me be clear: this is not a golden calf,” he said. “This statue is a celebration of life. It is a symbol of resilience, freedom, patriotism, strength, and the will power to keep fighting for the future of America.”
During the proceedings, Burns held his cell phone up to the microphone, and the president’s voice rang out. “I want to thank Mark Burns, a pastor, he’s a good pastor, he's a good man,” Trump said. “I know it was done from love.”
The statue — which rises 15 feet atop a 7-foot base — was commissioned and bankrolled by a collective of crypto investors seeking to boost visibility for their memecoin, $PATRIOT, according to The Daily Beast. Sculptor Alan Cottrill told The Times in February that he agreed to create the bronze figure for $300,000 but complained that the investors were slow in paying. In November he proposed coating it in gold leaf.
It’s far from the first sculpture of the Republican president to be erected in the U.S. — though it may be the most flattering. Several statues depicting Trump have recently appeared in front of the Capitol building, including one with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, both quickly removed.
