WASHINGTON — A portrait of President Donald Trump hanging at the Colorado state Capitol will be taken down after Trump claimed it was "purposefully distorted," state officials said Monday.

Colorado state House Democrats said in a statement that the oil painting would be taken down at the request of Republican leaders in the Legislature.

What You Need To Know

  • A portrait of President Donald Trump hanging at the Colorado state Capitol will be taken down after Trump claimed it was "purposefully distorted," state officials said Monday

  • First unveiled in August 2019, the painting shows an unsmiling Trump with graying temples and a pronounced double chin

  • “I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday

  • The portrait was painted by artist Sarah Boardman during Trump's first term

"If the GOP wants to spend time and money on which portrait of Trump hangs in the Capitol, then that's up to them," the Democrats said.

First unveiled in August 2019, the painting shows an unsmiling Trump with graying temples and a pronounced double chin. Colorado Republicans raised more than $10,000 through a GoFundMe account to commission the oil painting.

"Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before," Trump wrote on the social media site.

The president complained that the same artist’s painting of President Barack Obama – also by Boardman – “looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older.”

The oil painting was created by British-born, Colorado-based artist Sarah Boardman, who also painted the official portrait of George W. Bush. On her website, she says she is passionate about painting portraits and believes “the ultimate challenge is to capture the personality, character and soul of an individual in a two-dimensional format.” 

She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s criticism. She previously told The Denver Post that it was important her depictions of both Obama and Trump looked "apolitical."

Trump wrote on Sunday, “I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one,” adding that “many people from Colorado have called and written to complain.”

The president’s Truth Social post included his most recent official portrait, unveiled earlier this year, which shows him with a stern expression and slight shadow on his face, as well as his first official portrait from his first term in office, which shows him smiling. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.