A towering 15-foot gold statue of President Donald Trump, valued at $300,000, has been erected at his Doral golf course in Miami. The statue, nicknamed 'Don Colossus', depicts Trump pumping his fist in the air, a pose inspired by his reaction after the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The sculpture was created by artist Alan Cottrill, who was initially paid $360,000 by the cryptocurrency group $PATRIOT. However, in February, Cottrill claimed he is still owed $75,000 for the intellectual property rights to the statue, alleging that the group used its likeness to mint coins without proper compensation.
Despite the ongoing dispute, the statue has been installed at Trump's golf resort. The Trump family has sought to distance themselves from the associated cryptocurrency coin. Eric Trump, the President's son, stated on X: 'We appreciate the support and enthusiasm, but we want to be crystal clear — we are not involved in this coin.' Yet, internal messages from statue organizer Pastor Burns revealed he wrote to colleagues: 'The president just asked me for pictures of his statue in gold leaf.'
The unveiling comes as Trump's name and image are being increasingly featured on buildings, documents, and other tributes ahead of America's semiquincentennial. Notably, between 25,000 and 30,000 new passports featuring Trump's photo will be issued at the Washington DC passport office shortly before July 4, making him the first living president to appear on the travel document.
Additionally, there have been efforts to include Trump's signature on all new US dollar bills—a first for a sitting president—and to feature his image on a gold commemorative coin for the country's founding. Trump has also proposed a new White House ballroom and a massive arch at one of the entrances to Washington DC from Virginia.
These developments highlight a broader trend of commemorating the President in highly visible ways as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
