President Donald Trump has defended a 22-foot golden statue of himself that has spurned mixed reactions since its formal unveiling last week.
“This is a statue, now standing at Doral, that was commissioned by a large group of political supporters who just wanted a statue of yours truly,” Trump said Friday as he shared a picture of the installation that stands at Trump National Doral Miami golf course.
Dubbed Don Colossus and covered in gold leaf, the statue was commissioned by the $PATRIOT cryptocurrency group and unveiled during a dedication ceremony led by Pastor Mark Burns, a longtime spiritual adviser to Trump who was involved in the project.
“I very much appreciate their support, and all that they went through to get it done! They are very good people,” Trump added. “Those playing the Blue Monster, at Doral, are absolutely in love with it. Congratulations to all involved. With time, it will become a landmark.”
Trump has repeatedly championed the statue erected in his honor.
The President phoned into the unveiling ceremony to thank Pastor Burns for being with him “from the beginning.” He later referred to the artwork as “the real deal” and said those responsible for making it happen were “great American patriots.” But others have been less enthusiastic about the golden design.
Pastor Burns defended the installation via a lengthy public statement after critics compared it to the biblical golden calf, a symbol associated with idolatry.
“What amazes me is how quickly some people have compared this beautiful statue, created, and made possible by more than 6,000 patriots, to a golden calf or idol worship,” he said. “Let me be very clear. We worship the Lord Jesus Christ and him alone.”
“You may dislike President Trump. That is your choice. But you are in gross error if you think for one second that I worship this magnificent statue or anything made by human hands,” he added. “This was not idol worship… This was patriotism.”
The installation has continued to draw strong responses from late-night hosts. Stephen Colbert—who has repeatedly clashed with Trump—described it this week as “some recreational idolatry.” Jon Stewart also mocked the golden display.
The discourse over the statue comes just weeks after Trump received stern criticism from Christians and conservatives after posting—and deleting—an AI-generated Jesus-like image of himself as a robed figure with light emanating from his hands.
Trump had explained the image by saying it wasn’t intended to be a Jesus-like depiction and that he instead thought it was presenting him as a doctor.
Meanwhile the golden statue—which is drawing mixed reactions at the golf course— was commissioned in August 2024 from sculptor Alan Cottrill following the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The design appears to reference the instance Trump faced the crowd and raised his fist in the air after the shooting. The captured moment became the defining photo of the rally.
The original plan had been to unveil the statue during Trump’s inauguration, though reported disputes between the design and commissioning teams behind the scenes delayed its release.
This is far from the first golden statue associated with Trump.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2021, a smaller gold statue of the President was displayed for attendees to pose alongside.
When Trump teased the interior of the planned Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and Museum via an AI-generated video in March, it notably included mock-ups for two golden statues of Trump, drawing ire from the President’s long-time sparring partner California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Since returning to the White House, the President’s personal brand and likeness has made appearances across multiple platforms.
This includes limited-edition passports, commemorative coins, and banners adorning several government buildings.
There have also been statues of Trump installed by protesters and critics.
In late 2025, a bronze statue depicting Trump holding hands with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appeared near the U.S. Capitol on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The artwork came during a renewed call for the full release of the Epstein files and amid reignited questions over Trump’s former relationship with the disgraced financier.
Another gold-painted replica appeared in March this year, showing Trump standing behind Epstein, arms outstretched, embracing the offender in a Titanic-style pose on the National Mall.
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