Trump Keeps Mt. Rushmore Sculpture With His Face on It on Display in His Office
00:26 GMT 28.11.2021 (Updated: 14:09 GMT 14.02.2023)
© AP Photo / Alex Brandon
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In August 2020, Trump rejected allegations that his staff had requested that his image be added to the famous Mount Rushmore, but said it seemed like "a good idea." He had earlier made light of the situation on several occasions.
Recent images show that former President Donald Trump keeps a sculpture in his office depicting an updated Mount Rushmore with his face alongside past presidents.
The artwork is visible on a lower shelf in recent photos of Trump at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, residence. According to reports, it looks to be one that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem presented to him in 2020 during an Independence Day event at the real Mount Rushmore.
Trump's likeness is added to that of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt in the bronze "Mount Trumpmore" sculpture.
Part of the sculpture, with Trump's face on the right side hidden, can be seen at Trump's knee level in a photo of the former president posing with Kyle Rittenhouse, the young man recently acquitted of homicide after killing two men during riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
TRUMP MET WITH RITTENHOUSE.
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) November 24, 2021
The internet isn’t ready for this. pic.twitter.com/hV5SWkEv0B
And another photo, depicting a Taekwondo master presenting Trump with an honorary award, shows the entire sculpture, with Trump's image visible on the far right-hand side.
Congratulations to former President Donald Trump on receiving an Honorary taekwondo black belt yesterday in his well-decorated Mar-a-Lago office. Fittingly, he becomes only the 2nd person to receive this MAJOR AWARD, after Vladimir Putin.
— ProperGander Stephen Simpson (@BamaStephen) November 25, 2021
👀 New Mt. Rushmore and
Kim Jung Un pic.twitter.com/gJB8YtJw8l
According to The South Dakota Standard, sculptors Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby made a miniature Mount Rushmore with Trump added to it, and the original sculpture was presented to the then-president on July 3, 2020, before his speech at Mount Rushmore.
The Trump campaign has reportedly sold items based on the original present. The sold sculpture copies had the text of the preamble of the US Constitution on the back, according to photos.
"Mount Trumpmore." pic.twitter.com/TjPSRSGbuY
— Eric Hananoki (@ehananoki) June 22, 2020
Leuning confirmed to The Daily Beast this week that it was his work in Trump's office and said it was "cool" to see it on the shelf, because "stuff ends up in a closet" quite often.
