Overview
- The 22‑foot “Don Colossus” at Trump National Doral, unveiled Wednesday, depicts the president with a raised fist and consists of a 15‑foot bronze figure on a 7‑foot base finished in gold leaf.
- Pastor Mark Burns led the dedication, played a phone greeting from the president, and later said “this is not a golden calf” as online critics likened the display to idol worship.
- Investors tied to the $PATRIOT memecoin commissioned the piece, and Burns claimed more than 6,000 contributors helped fund it, a figure reported as his assertion rather than independently verified.
- Sculptor Alan Cottrill said he withheld delivery until final payment cleared about two weeks before installation, described the process as chaotic, and put the total cost near $450,000 after starting around $300,000.
- Cottrill noted the work is bronze covered with thin sheets of gold, and the uproar has revived debate over Trump iconography that blends political branding, crypto promotion, and religious symbolism.