--- title: Trump Defends Giant Golden Statue of Himself Amid Much Debate description: "With time, it will become a landmark," Trump insisted, amid mounting criticism over the installation. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/trump-gold-statue-controversy-comments-history/ author: Tiago Ventura article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-05-15T14:42:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-18T21:47:22.104Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Defends Giant Gold Statue of Himself Amid Much Debate og:description: "With time, it will become a landmark," Trump insisted, amid mounting criticism over the installation. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/trump-gold-statue-controversy-comments-history/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde9d8e06675ef0f5/6a07389c9b4a4e7a4c3ed0e2/GettyImages-2275693696.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3879 og:image:height: 2182 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2275693696.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Defends Giant Gold Statue of Himself Amid Much Debate twitter:description: "With time, it will become a landmark," Trump insisted, amid mounting criticism over the installation. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde9d8e06675ef0f5/6a07389c9b4a4e7a4c3ed0e2/GettyImages-2275693696.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'It Will Become a Landmark': Trump Defends Giant Golden Statue of Himself Amid Much Debate > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura May 15, 2026 2:42 PM UTC  President Donald Trump delivers remarks at a Rose Garden Club dinner at the White House on May 11, 2026. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at a Rose Garden Club dinner at the White House on May 11, 2026. Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura May 15, 2026 2:42 PM UTC President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/7382878/trump-iran-war-unconditional-surrender-demand/) has defended a 22-foot golden statue of himself that has spurred 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](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116577975964537452) 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](https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/why-trumps-spiritual-adviser-dedicated-a-golden-statue-to-the-president) 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](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116533234584336287)” 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](https://x.com/pastormarkburns/status/2052748454326411331). “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](https://time.com/5355011/stephen-colbert-trump-collusion-montage/) with Trump—[described](https://youtu.be/nXO6CqFJUlc?t=217) it this week as “some recreational idolatry.” Jon Stewart also [mocked](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=75&v=WGMmgMke9p8&feature=youtu.be) the golden display. The discourse over the statue comes just weeks after Trump received stern [criticism from Christians and conservatives](https://time.com/article/2026/04/14/catholic-vance-breaks-silence-on-deleted-trump-jesus-image-amid-outcry/) 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](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/15/trump-golf-course-golden-statue-him-draws-mixed-reactions/) at the golf course— was commissioned in August 2024 from sculptor Alan Cottrill following the [assassination attempt](https://time.com/7301662/donald-trump-butler-pa-assassination/) 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](https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/trump-statue-gold-crypto-03ljw99hf) between the design and commissioning teams behind the scenes delayed its release.  A statue of President Donald Trump is seen at the Trump National Doral site in Miami, Florida, on April 30, 2026. Ben Jared—Getty Images 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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY9tZL1F-4g) for attendees to pose alongside. When Trump [teased](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116320838897987884) 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](https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2038800059702419746) 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](https://time.com/article/2026/04/29/trump-us-passports-face-limited-edition-democrats-backlash/), [commemorative coins](https://time.com/article/2026/03/20/trump-gold-coin-250th-anniversary-commemorative-king-living-person-tradition/), and [banners](https://time.com/7379999/democrats-criticize-giant-trump-banner-justice-department/) adorning several government buildings.  A statue depicting President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a 'Titanic'-themed pose is displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on March 10, 2026. Bill Clark—Getty Images There have also been statues of Trump installed by protesters and critics. In late 2025, a [bronze statue](https://time.com/7319909/trump-epstein-statue-washington-dc-protest/) depicting Trump holding hands with the late convicted sex offender [Jeffrey Epstein](https://time.com/article/2026/05/07/alleged-jeffrey-epstein-suicide-note-released-by-new-york-judge/) 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](https://time.com/article/2026/03/11/-trump-epstein-statue-titanic-pose-mall-washington-dc/) appeared in March this year, showing Trump standing behind Epstein, arms outstretched, embracing the offender in a Titanic-style pose on the National Mall. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/trump-gold-statue-controversy-comments-history/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/trump-gold-statue-controversy-comments-history/"},"headline":"'It Will Become a Landmark': Trump Defends Giant Golden Statue of Himself Amid Much Debate","datePublished":"2026-05-15T14:42:46.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-18T21:47:22.104Z","description":"\"With time, it will become a landmark,\" Trump insisted, amid mounting criticism over the installation.","url":"https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/trump-gold-statue-controversy-comments-history/","keywords":["Donald Trump","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde9d8e06675ef0f5/6a07389c9b4a4e7a4c3ed0e2/GettyImages-2275693696.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tiago Ventura","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde9d8e06675ef0f5/6a07389c9b4a4e7a4c3ed0e2/GettyImages-2275693696.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"GettyImages-2275693696.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/trump-gold-statue-controversy-comments-history/","name":"'It Will Become a Landmark': Trump Defends Giant Golden Statue of Himself Amid Much Debate"}}]}] ```