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Sarah Boardman, the artist who painted the official Trump portrait for the Colorado Capitol, says her career and livelihood are now in jeopardy following President Trump’s public criticism of her work. The painting, which hung in the state’s rotunda for nearly six years, was removed last month after Trump called it “truly the worst” and accused Boardman of purposefully distorting his likeness.

Boardman pushed back against the allegations in a written statement over the weekend, saying, “President Trump is entitled to comment freely, as we all are, but the additional allegations… are now directly and negatively impacting my business of over 41 years which now is in danger of not recovering.”

The Trump portrait, funded by over $10,000 raised by Colorado Republicans, had been commissioned in 2019 and approved throughout the artistic process by the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee. Boardman said she received “overwhelmingly positive reviews” during the years it was on display. That changed, she said, after Trump’s remarks went viral on Truth Social.

Trump’s critique wasn’t just aesthetic. He said the Trump portrait didn’t resemble him and questioned Boardman’s skills by saying she “must have lost her talent as she got older.” He also unfavorably compared her Trump portrait to the one she previously painted of former President Barack Obama, saying Obama “looks wonderful” while his own image looked nothing like him.

Capitol Takes Down Portrait as Criticism Intensifies

The day after Trump’s post, Colorado’s Republican leadership requested that the painting be taken down. It was removed without delay and placed in storage. While the move was not mandated by law, GOP leaders said a new portrait that better reflects the president’s contemporary image will eventually be commissioned.

Supporters of Trump say his objection was fair. As a public figure, particularly one depicted in a taxpayer-funded setting, he has every right to expect accuracy and dignity in official representation. Republican State Sen. Paul Lundeen said the goal moving forward is to replace the image with one “that depicts his contemporary likeness.”

Even those close to Boardman acknowledged that strong reactions were expected. “We all know Trump. We all know how he talks,” her sister-in-law said. But she emphasized that Boardman completed the portrait to the committee’s specifications, without bias, and fulfilled the contract faithfully.

Boardman has remained largely silent since issuing her statement. She has declined additional interviews and says she will not comment further. She insists her approach was to remain neutral and professional, choosing an expression that she described in 2019 as “serious, non-confrontational, and thoughtful.”

Family members have defended her work, posting it on social media and standing by her legacy as a respected portrait artist. Her niece said, “Great art elicits emotion. It’s obviously done its job,” noting that their family had supported Trump’s presidency even during his second term.

Fallout Raises Questions About Public Art and Political Risk

This isn’t the first time the Trump portrait space at the Colorado Capitol has attracted controversy. In 2018, before the official piece was completed, an activist briefly hung a framed photo of Vladimir Putin in the empty spot. That prank drew national headlines and underlined how political tensions can spill over into even symbolic public displays.

Now, Boardman finds herself caught in that same storm. She has painted portraits of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and other figures with no comparable backlash. But this time, she says the response has jeopardized her studio and livelihood.

While President Trump has every right to defend his image, the situation has sparked broader debate over how public art, especially art involving political figures, can become a flashpoint overnight. For Boardman, the stakes are no longer about artistic opinion. They’re about whether a lifetime of work can survive one moment of controversy.

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