Drivers along a Nevada interstate highway near Las Vegas this weekend were greeted with an unexpected sight: a 13-metre-tall, naked statue of former U.S. president Donald Trump.
The 6,000-pound sculpture, which was held upright by a crane on an industrial estate, caused offence among the state’s Republicans, who have branded the effigy “deplorable.”
The statue, titled Crooked and Obscene, is made from foam and rebar. Though the artists have opted to remain anonymous, they said the choice to depict Trump naked is “a bold statement on transparency, vulnerability, and the public personas of political figures.”
A press release from the artists said the giant marionette is also meant to inspire conversation about “transparency—or lack thereof—in politics, challenging viewers to think critically about political influence.”
According to the Nevada Republican Party, the statue is nothing short of inappropriate. The organization said it “strongly condemns” the sculpture because families driving through Las Vegas “are forced to view this offensive marionette, designed intentionally for shock value rather than meaningful dialogue.”
“President Trump and Republicans are focused on delivering results that matter — reducing inflation, securing our borders, creating jobs, and ensuring a brighter future for all Americans,” the party said in a statement. “While Democrats, especially Kamala Harris, continue to prioritise shock value over substance, President Trump is the only candidate in this race standing up for working men and women across Nevada.”
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The naked Trump effigy was removed on Monday.
Clark County officials said the statue was erected on private property without a permit.
“Upon being made aware of its existence, Commissioner Kirkpatrick reached out to the property and asked that it be taken down,” read the statement, released Tuesday. “It was taken down shortly afterward.”
The artists said the statue is expected to be brought to other American cities as part of a nationwide tour. The artists told the Las Vegas TV station KTNV-TV that they plan to display the nude Trump statue in every American swing state.
Dates and other locations for the statue’s display have not been announced.
Crooked and Obscene is not the first statue to depict Trump nude. Artist Joshua “Ginger” Monroe in 2016 created several naked Trump statues that were placed in cities including New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Monroe’s statues were financed by the art collective Indecline, and were erected without permits.
In 2018, U.K. activist Leo Murray flew a six-metre-tall, naked “Trump Baby” balloon over London while the then-president visited England. The balloon, which depicted a visibly angry, Trump-like infant holding a cellphone, was flown outside the Palace of Westminster.
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