A towering 43-foot-tall naked replica of Donald Trump, which had been prominently displayed alongside the I-15 Freeway near Las Vegas, has been removed. According to its organizers, the provocative political art installation, which the GOP has labeled as “deplorable,” is now on its way to other battleground states.
Over the weekend, travelers on Interstate 15 just outside of Las Vegas were greeted by an unexpected and controversial sight—a naked Donald Trump statue. This massive figure, standing at an imposing 43 feet, replicates the former president in nothing but his birthday suit, poised as if to critique and draw attention.
The installation features a satirical detail: the statue’s representation of Trump’s anatomy is considerably and intentionally undersized. According to a press release from the creators, who have yet to publicly identify themselves, the piece aims to be a “bold statement on transparency, vulnerability, and the public personas of political figures.”
The artwork is aptly titled “Crooked and Obscene,” and is constructed from foam-covered metal rebar, weighing approximately 6,000 pounds. Interestingly, it functions as a marionette suspended from a crane, with its moveable arms being the only part observed in motion thus far.
This massive naked figure of Trump was erected late under the cover of darkness at 13460 Apex Harbor Lane in North Las Vegas. Its placement, next to a business named Love’s Storage Solutions, adds another layer of irony to the provocative display.
The prime suspect behind this audacious installation is Joshua Monroe, a Las Vegas resident recognized for designing monstrous figures for horror films and haunted houses. Monroe had previously collaborated with the art collective INDECLINE to create five smaller, 8-foot-tall naked Trump statues during the 2016 election cycle. Those sculptures, humorously titled “The Emperor Has No Balls,” were discreetly placed in major cities such as Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle, all of which were promptly removed by authorities.
The fate of this current, much larger Trump statue remains uncertain. However, its creators plan to embark on a “Crooked and Obscene Tour,” bringing the piece to several American cities leading up to the election. This suggests that its temporary removal from the I-15 Freeway is but an intermission in its journey across the nation.
