Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Read more
When world leaders arrive at this year’s Group of 20 summit hosted by the United States in Miami later this year, they’ll be greeted by a massive golden statue depicting the owner of the summit venue — a man who also happens to be the President of the United States.
A new statue of Trump has been funded by a group of cryptocurrency enthusiasts who have named the project “Don Colossus” and commissioned the likeness of the president as a way of drumming up publicity for their memecoin, $PATRIOT.
According to the New York Times, a steel and concrete pedestal has been built for the statue, which is being sculpted by Alan Cottrill, at Trump National Doral outside Miami.
Cottrill, an Ohio-based artist who has built other statues of former presidents and has at least one piece on display in the U.S. Capitol’s art collection, told the Times the crypto bros who commissioned the 15-foot bronze piece (it will be 22 feet on its pedestal) asked him to make some improvements to the look of the nearly 80-year-old president.
“I had him very lifelike,” Cottrill told the Times. “The crypto guys said I had to get rid of some of the turkey neck. I had to thin him down.”
open image in gallery
A new status of Donald Trump is being created and will be placed at his golf club in Miami. A picture of a giant Trump statue made a year ago by artist Alana Cottrill (Instagram/alan cottrill)
open image in gallery
Small models of the planned Trump statue are depicted in this photograph from the sculptor’s Instagram page (Instagram/alan cottrill)
Cottrill is currently holding the completed work at his Ohio foundry due to a dispute with the crypto bros who commissioned it. He has complained that they unlawfully used an image of his work to market their memecoin, which has since cratered in value.
According to the Times, he says he is owed $90,000 by his patrons out of a $150,000 lump sum he was to be paid for the rights to the statue.
“That statue will not leave my foundry until everything they owe me is paid,” he said.
One of the people who commissioned the project, Ashley Sansalone, told the Times he would be paid in full before the statue is revealed.
“Under any business agreement, there’s always some funds withheld until the finished product is complete,” he said.
Cottrill has shared his work on social media, including images of a giant Trump statue that was met with a host of praise including “Very cool!” from one user and “The master’s hand, Brilliant work Alan,” from another.
open image in gallery
The statue is something similar to see in other nations – such as North Korea (AFP/Getty)
The monument to Trump appears to be loosely based on an image taken of him just after a gunman narrowly missed his head during a July 2024 speech in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The president is depicted with an open-collared dress shirt and suit with his fist raised to the air.
Like most things Trump is fond of, it will be covered in pure golf leaf. But at 22 feet on the pedestal, it will be far smaller than other large monuments to world leaders, such as the 72-foot statue of late North Korean dictators Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il at the Mansudae Grand Monument in Pyongyang.
The White House has maintained that it is not involved in the crypto project or the related statue setup, and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But the Trump administration was and is involved in planning for this year’s Group of 20 summit — including the choice of the Trump-owned resort as a venue this past September.
At the time, Trump said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would organize the agenda for the meeting, which he said will focus on “unleashing economic prosperity by limiting, eliminating the burdens of regulations, unlocking affordable energy, and pioneering new technologies.”
The White House has said Trump National Doral would host the meeting “at cost, and will receive no profit from either the State Department or a foreign government.”
The meeting has been scheduled for December 14 and 15.