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, the sculpture was draped in white and blue fabric, resembling a Greek toga. It was encircled by a few dozen guests seated in chairs, as Pastor Mark Burns — a member of Pastors for Trump — spoke at a podium.
“Today at Trump National Doral Miami, we witnessed an unforgettable moment,” Burns wrote on social media before emphasizing that the gilded effigy was not a false idol.
“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.”
Burns, who previously described the president as divinely appointed, added that the sculpture stands as a reminder that God is protecting Trump’s life — in a nod to the multiple assassination attempts he has survived.
At one point 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’ve known him a long time, he’s been with me from the beginning, right from the beginning, maybe about two days later.”
“I want to thank everybody there,” he added. “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.
His suggestion went down like an offering of water “to a person dying of thirst,” he said. “Immediately everybody jumped on board.”
Cottrill, who has molded the likeness of 16 presidents, said he was holding the statue hostage in a warehouse until he was paid the total agreed upon sum.
In a statement to the outlet, the crypto investors said that “the statue was paid in full a year ago,” adding, “He’s an amazing artist and despite his comments we greatly appreciate the work he completed on this historic statue.”
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. One, titled “Best Friends Forever,” portrays the billionaire president alongside the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Another, called “King of the World,” shows the pair posing like Jack and Rose at the prow of the Titanic.
Both installations — commissioned by protest group Secret Handshake — were quickly removed.
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