Latest news with #DictatorApproved
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Trump-Jeffrey Epstein dancing sculpture mysteriously appears on National Mall
The White House has strongly condemned a controversial sculpture that recently appeared on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The artwork, depicting President Donald Trump dancing alongside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has sparked outrage and drawn sharp criticism from officials. This golden television sculpture follows another anti-Trump installation that was unveiled on the National Mall just a week earlier. The National Mall witnessed another controversial sculpture where Trump is dancing with Jeffrey Epstein.(X) Also Read: Jim Ryan resigns: Here's what led to UVA president's decision - timeline of events The sculpture of a golden television shows clips of the president dancing in different locations and is adorned with a bald eagle. In one of the clips displayed on the TV, Trump was seen dancing next to Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking minors in 2019. A plaque that rests at the base of the statue reads, 'In the United States of America you have the freedom to display your so-called art, no matter how ugly it is.' — The Trump White House, June 2025," as reported by the Irish Star. Since the controversial sculpture was placed directly in the view of Capitol Hill, the White House lashed out at the mysterious House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the Washington Post, 'Wow, these liberal activists masquerading as 'artists,' are dumber than I thought!' She added, 'I've tricked them into taking down their ugly sculpture and replacing it with a beautiful video of the President's legendary dance moves that will bring joy and inspiration to all tourists traversing our National Mall. Thank you for your attention to this matter! Maybe they will put this on their next sculpture.' Also Read: Jim Ryan resigns: Here's what led to UVA president's decision - timeline of events Who is the artist behind these anti-Trump sculptures? The artist behind these sculptures is yet to be identified. According to the organizer's permit application filed with the National Park Service, the artwork aims 'to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery,' as reported by The Post. Earlier this month, another provocative piece titled Dictator Approved appeared on the National Mall. It was an 8-foot-tall sculpture featuring a giant thumbs-up crushing the head of the Statue of Liberty.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
White House seethes as sculpture shows Trump dancing with Epstein - who are the artists?
A provocative art installation has raised eyebrows in D.C., and not just among tourists. A mysterious gold-sprayed TV on the National Mall that plays a video of Donald Trump dancing next to Jeffrey Epstein has appeared near the Capitol. While it has captured public attention, the White House is extremely infuriated. What does the White House say? A mysterious gold "television" installation in front of the Capitol that shows a video of Donald Trump dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was put up, as per a report by the Daily Beast. Officials call it tasteless, but the creators argue it is free speech. The artist's identity is unknown, which adds to the intrigue by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox Undo Abigail Jackson, a press assistant, unleashed on the unnamed creators. She told The Washington Post, "Wow, these liberal activists masquerading as 'artists,' are dumber than I thought." "I've tricked them into taking down their ugly sculpture and replacing it with a beautiful video of the President's legendary dance moves that will bring joy and inspiration to all tourists traversing our National Mall. Thank you for your attention to this matter!,' as per a report. Live Events "Perhaps they will incorporate this into their next sculpture," she concluded. Who made the sculpture and why? Unknown artists created the installation, which is allowed to remain until Sunday. It is located where the anti-Trump statue "Dictator Approved" from last week caused a similar uproar. The new piece reinforces the administration's own statements and includes a 15-second loop of Trump's father dancing, not just with the late, disgraced financier. A plaque mocks officials who now complain about being made fun of by quoting the White House's assertion last week that Americans are free to exhibit "so-called 'art,' no matter how ugly it is,' as per a report by the Daily Beast. ALSO READ: Canadian outrage erupts after citizen dies in ICE custody - Carney vs Trump tensions boil over The stunt has been well-liked by tourists and, according to its National Park Service filing, aims "to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery." Who the artists are is still a mystery in the art world. A "Mary Harris," but no contact information, is listed on the National Park Service permit. Art detectives believe the name is a reference to labor icon Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, who was well-known for upending the establishment a century ago. It implies that the pranksters consider themselves to be her descendants in the twenty-first century. Since autumn, similar unsigned but stylistically similar bronze tiki torches and tableaux depicting poop on Pelosi desks have inexplicably surfaced in Portland, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. The golden TV appeared where the eight-foot statue "Dictator Approved," which featured a Trumpian thumbs-up stomping Lady Liberty's crown, had been placed the week before. The initial White House outburst regarding "so-called 'art'' was sparked by that earlier piece, which quoted authoritarian leaders applauding Trump. What's Donald Trump's link to Epstein? For many years, people have been talking about Trump's relationship with financier Epstein. Trump was on Epstein's jet seven times, according to flight logs from his trial, and he socialized with Epstein in the 1990s. Elon Musk recently apologized for going too far when he said that Trump was in the Epstein files, which he later removed. Trump's relationship with Epstein is an important aspect of his personal life and is not arbitrary. FAQs Is Donald Trump really dancing with Epstein in the video? No, it's a looped video of Trump next to Epstein, used symbolically as part of the artwork. Who created the Trump-Epstein sculpture? The artists remain anonymous, but the listed name "Mary Harris" is most likely a reference to activist Mother Jones.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Another mysterious anti-Trump sculpture appears on the National Mall
The mystery artists responsible for a statue on the National Mall mocking President Donald Trump last week have done it again — this time with a multimedia work taking aim at comments the White House made about them. On Thursday morning, a replica of an old-school television set showing clips of Trump dancing was set up near Third Street NW in direct view of the U.S. Capitol. The set displays a 15-second silent video loop of Trump's signature slow-motion shimmy from various times and locations. In one, Trump is dancing next to multimillionaire and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking minors in 2019 and killed himself while awaiting trial. A bouncy jingle from an ice cream truck parked nearby provided an unintentional soundtrack. If there is a theme, it is a golden one. The television is spray-painted gold, as is a replica of a bald eagle with wings outstretched that sits atop the television. Ivy, also spray-painted gold, bedecks the display. A plaque at the base of the statue reads, ''In the United States of America you have the freedom to display your so-called 'art,' no matter how ugly it is.' — The Trump White House, June 2025.' That quote is taken from a comment the White House sent to The Washington Post last week in response to an 8-foot-tall artwork titled 'Dictator Approved,' which depicts a gold-painted hand with a distinctive thumbs-up crushing the crown of the Statue of Liberty. The base of that statue included quotes from authoritarian leaders praising Trump, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The purpose of the new video art installation is 'to demonstrate freedom of speech and artistic expression using political imagery,' according to the organizer's permit application to the National Park Service. It is set up on the Mall in the same place where the Dictator Approved statue was placed last week and is permitted to stay there until 8 p.m. Sunday. The White House was not amused. 'Wow, these liberal activists masquerading as 'artists,' are dumber than I thought!' White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson wrote Thursday in statement sent to The Post. 'I've tricked them into taking down their ugly sculpture and replacing it with a beautiful video of the President's legendary dance moves that will bring joy and inspiration to all tourists traversing our National Mall. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' 'Maybe they will put this on their next sculpture,' Jackson added. (If so, these sculptures may have to get bigger). Exactly who is behind the artworks remains a mystery. The new television installment and the 'Dictator Approved' statue are similar in style and materials to protest artworks placed in the District, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, last fall. However, no individual or group has publicly claimed responsibility for those pieces, which included a bronze-painted tiki torch and a replica of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk with a pile of poop on it that paid satirical tribute to the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Mary Harris was listed as the applicant for permits issued this year but no contact information was provided. And the name may be another symbolic distraction. Mary Harris Jones is the name of legendary union organizer and labor leader Mother Jones, who died in Silver Spring, Md. in 1930. Few visitors braved the early afternoon heat Thursday to see the new work. Tasnim Mokhtar, 25, was taking a family friend visiting from Texas on a sightseeing tour when they happened upon it. Mokhtar, who lives in Northern Virginia, said she thought the installation was 'a great way to raise consciousness. Not just about steps Trump has taken but how it's affecting our culture as a whole.' D.C. resident Julianne Brienza stopped by on her bike to take a peek. She had heard about the previous artworks but didn't know there was a new one. 'Nothing is even-keeled right now,' said Brienza, 50, as she shaded her eyes from the fake gold gleam. 'So it's good to see something and feel reaffirmed about something we're all facing. Whether we're Republicans or Democrats.' But Brienza wasn't sure the image would change any minds. 'Does this really do anything? I don't know, I don't know.'
UPI
20-06-2025
- Politics
- UPI
'Dictator Approved' statue at National Mall takes aim at President Trump
1 of 4 | An 8-foot-tall installation reading "Dictator Approved" appeared on the National Mall in Washington, on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo June 20 (UPI) -- A sculpture featuring a cracked Statue of Liberty crushed under a golden "thumbs up" and emblazoned with "Dictator Approved" has appeared on the National Mall. The 8-foot-tall art installation, an apparent criticism of President Donald Trump, has been drawing the attention of visitors at the Capitol this week. It is unclear who put it there, but it was first spotted Tuesday near the site where a bronze statue mocking rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, was placed months before. Along with the golden marking reading "Dictator Approved," the pedestal of the statue features quotes lauding Trump from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "President Trump is a very bright and talented man," Putin's quote reads. "The most respected, most feared person is Donald Trump," Orban's quote says. The statue is permitted to appear on the National Mall, according to a spokesperson from the National Park Service. The permit application, according to the Washingtonian, said the purpose of the statue is to highlight the similarities between the United States hosting last weekend's military parade and similar parades held under autocratic regimes like North Korea, Russia and China. "This statue will call attention to that imagery by linking our American traditions to freedom to the actual praising these types of oppressive leaders have given Donald Trump," the permit application said.
Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Dictator Approved': a golden thumbs-up crushing Statue of Liberty sculpture appears on National Mall
A new 'art' sculpture has appeared in the heart of Washington appearing to mock US President Donald Trump. Atop the replica of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-California) desk on the National Mall, stands a work of art called 'Dictator Approved,' an 8-foot-tall sculpture showing a gold-painted hand with a distinctive thumbs-up squashing the sea-foam green crown of the Statue of Liberty. The artwork's creator intended Dictator Approved as a response to the June 14 military parade and authoritarianism, according to a permit issued by the National Park Service, as reported by The Washington Post. The parade, the creators wrote in the application, 'will feature imagery similar to autocratic, oppressive regimes, i.e. North Korea, Russia, and China, marching through DC.' The purpose of the statue, they said, is to call attention to 'the praising these types of oppressive leaders have given Donald Trump.' Plaques on the four sides of the artwork's base include quotes from world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin ('President Trump is a very bright and talented man.'), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ('The most respected, the most feared person is Donald Trump.'), former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro ('We do have a great deal of shared values. I admire President Trump.') and North Korea's Kim Jong Un ('Your Excellency.' A 'special' relationship. 'The extraordinary courage of President Trump.'). No individual or group has taken responsibility for the statue; however, Mary Harris is listed as the applicant for the permit, but no contact information for her was provided. The permit allows the statue to be in place from 7 am, June 16, until 5 pm, June 22. This isn't the first time a sculpture has appeared at the same location. In October last year, a 'brass-coloured 'poop statue' was placed on the National Mall in mock tribute to the January 6 rioters who stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election. A sign below the desk read: 'This memorial honours the brave men and women who broke into the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021 to loot, urinate, and defecate throughout those hallowed halls in order to overturn an election.' There is no confirmation if the artist group involved in the poop statue is the same involved here, given that the Dictator Approved statue is very similar in style and materials to the poop statue and several protest artworks placed in the District, Philadelphia, and Portland, Oregon, last fall. However, no individual or group has publicly claimed responsibility for those pieces. A White House spokeswoman, Abigail Jackson, lashed out at the claims of Trump leading an 'authoritative' regime, saying, 'If these Democrat activists were living in a dictatorship, their eye-sore of a sculpture wouldn't be sitting on the National Mall right now.' 'In the United States of America, you have the freedom to display your so-called 'art,' no matter how ugly it is,' she said in an email statement to The Washington Post. Social media users were in a frenzy on seeing the 'Dictator Approved' statue. On Instagram, many users shared their views, with some saying, 'That's what we call free speech, with a side of humour. Keep it coming.' Some also thanked the creator of the statue, calling it 'legendary'. 'Thanks to whoever did this,' the comment read. Another user said, 'National Park Service fires back with a permit. Love it!' However, not everyone welcomed the piece of art. 'So when the majority of people vote someone using their rights, it is frowned up and then called a dictatorship. When woke people with a pink and yellow hair do, its called sovereignty. Make it make sense!, a user wrote on Instagram. 'The hateful rhetoric of the left,' another user said. Some tourists who stopped by to see the statue told The Washington Post that they were surprised that it was allowed to be placed where it was. An 80-year-old from Australia, who didn't share his last name, said, 'I'm amazed that whoever dreamed this up could put this here,' adding, 'It reminds me of Animal Farm.' 'I actually love it,' said a District resident, who also didn't share his name. Abigail Martin, 21, visiting from Cleveland said, 'At first I was confused, but then I figured it out. I think it's beautiful.' (With inputs from The Washington Post, Reuters)
