Trump statue installed at Florida golf resort amid controversy
A towering gold-leaf monument depicting Donald Trump has been installed at his Florida golf resort, triggering widespread criticism and comparisons to authoritarian regimes, reports BritPanorama.
The 15-foot bronze sculpture, weighing 3.1 tons and nicknamed “Don Colossus,” now stands at Trump National Doral Miami between the first tee and driving range. Coated in thick gold leaf, the statue captures the US President with his fist raised defiantly, recreating his response moments after surviving an assassination attempt during the 2024 campaign.
The monument debuted just days before the PGA Tour’s Cadillac Championship, which marks the course’s return to the tour calendar after last hosting an event in 2016. Its “dictator-chic” appearance has provoked fierce online debate, with social media users drawing parallels between this figure and monuments honouring Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in North Korea.
Mike Sington, a former NBCUniversal senior executive, condemned the installation on X, stating, “Trump’s Doral National golf course in Miami installs gold statue of Trump, which is remarkably similar to one of Dear Leader in North Korea.” Dr Sam Youssef, a vocal Trump critic, suggested the monument demonstrated the President had realised his “dream of becoming like North Korean leaders.” Others called it “narcissistic,” with comments ranging from speculation about martial law to outright disbelief.
Despite the backlash, some dismissed these comparisons as exaggerated, arguing that the statue resides on private property. Professional golfers at the resort had mixed reactions ahead of the tournament, with Rickie Fowler commenting, “What else would you expect,” while also acknowledging, “It’s big and gold. About all I got. It’s his place — he can do whatever he wants.”
When asked about posing for a photo alongside the statue, Fowler quipped, “It’s going to make me look smaller than I already am.” Fellow golfer Maverick McNealy described it as “very tall and very gold” but remained uncertain if he would take a picture with it. The atmosphere turned awkward when a photographer requested PGA Tour staff to pose for a group shot next to the statue, receiving a collective refusal instead.
The sculpture was created by Ohio-based artist Alan Cottrill, commissioned by a cryptocurrency group called $PATRIOT for approximately $360,000, with an additional $60,000 spent on the gold finish. The project became marred in dispute after Cottrill accused the crypto group of exploiting the statue’s image for promotional purposes before settling the full payment. He claimed to be owed $75,000 for intellectual property rights, which delayed the statue’s display until the terms were finalised.
The Trump family has clarified its distance from the cryptocurrency venture, with Eric Trump stating on X, “We appreciate the support and enthusiasm, but we want to be crystal clear — we are not involved in this coin.” The White House has also confirmed it has no affiliation with the $PATRIOT group.
In a landscape where the line between art and politics is often blurred, this latest installation is a striking reminder of ownership, legacy, and the extremes of personal branding in the modern age. It demonstrates how public figures navigate their identities, and how art can reflect the sometimes absurd intersections of fame and ideology.
