A gold-covered statue depicting Donald Trump as a naked, burden-bearing ruler has been displayed outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The artwork, titled The Orange Plague, is the latest in a series of provocative sculptures that use satire to comment on Trump’s political image, policies and public persona.
Created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, the 2.6-metre statue was shown at the European Parliament building for a short period before moving on to the COP31 United Nations Climate Conference in Antalya, Türkiye, next month. Its Strasbourg appearance has renewed attention on the long tradition of artistic criticism directed at the US president.
The Orange Plague arrives in Strasbourg
The Orange Plague, also known as The King of Injustice, is coated in 23-karat gold. It shows a nude Trump holding an oversized golf club in one hand and a set of scales in the other, while sitting on the back of a smaller, apparently weakened figure.
A plaque beneath the sculpture presents the central metaphor: a powerful figure claiming to help someone while refusing to remove the burden placed upon them. Galschiøt describes the piece as a satirical protest against Trump’s climate and foreign policies.
The sculpture had previously appeared at “Hands Off Greenland” demonstrations in Copenhagen and at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil. Its display in Strasbourg connected the artwork to European political debate, although it was not an official installation or decision by the European Parliament.
Why Trump statues attract attention
Trump has become a recurring subject for political artists because of his preference for highly visual symbols of wealth, grandeur and authority. Sculptors have responded with exaggerated bodies, gilded surfaces, comic props and deliberately monumental forms.
These works do more than caricature an individual. They also explore wider questions about political power, celebrity, masculinity and the use of public space. Their creators often rely on shock, humour or visual contradiction to encourage public discussion.
- Scale: Oversized figures turn political personality into a public monument.
- Materials: Gold, bronze-effect finishes and bright colours imitate or parody traditional symbols of prestige.
- Setting: Public squares, government districts and international events give the works added political meaning.
- Satire: Familiar slogans, gestures and props are transformed into criticism.
Earlier works that drew controversy
The Emperor Has No Balls
In 2016, the anonymous art collective Indecline installed five nearly two-metre-tall statues of a naked Trump in Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Made from clay and silicone, the sculptures were removed from public locations, where they had been placed without permission.
The installations became widely discussed because they combined a literal depiction of vulnerability with a reference to the traditional expression “the emperor has no clothes”.
Dump Trump
Artist Don Lessem’s Dump Trump appeared in London’s Trafalgar Square in 2019. The 4.9-metre sculpture showed Trump seated on a golden toilet while using a mobile phone and wearing a hat bearing the words “Impeach Me!”.
The work also used recorded sound, including flatulence effects and familiar phrases associated with Trump’s public speeches. It was later seen in Washington during the 4 July celebrations that year.
Statue of Illiberty
Slovenian artist Tomaž Schlegl created Statue of Illiberty near Kamnik in 2019. The wooden figure raised one arm in a pose associated with the Statue of Liberty, while its two-sided design presented contrasting images of Trump and a monstrous, vampire-like figure.
The work followed an earlier Melania Trump sculpture in Slovenia that was destroyed by fire. Statue of Illiberty was also burned down approximately a year after it was erected.
Satirical statues in Washington
More recent installations have focused on Trump’s associations and controversies. In 2025, an anonymous collective known as The Secret Handshake installed Best Friends Forever near the National Mall in Washington, DC. The 3.7-metre sculpture depicted Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein. US Park Police dismantled it within 24 hours, although it was subsequently reinstalled temporarily at other locations in the capital.
In 2026, the same group produced King of the World, a companion piece using a pose inspired by the film Titanic. Both works were designed as political protest art, rather than permanent monuments.
Art, public space and political debate
Unlike an official government statement, a satirical sculpture can communicate through symbolism and provocation. Artists may use a familiar political figure to address concerns about executive power, climate policy, international relations, alleged misconduct or the relationship between politics and celebrity.
However, public installations can also raise practical questions about permits, security and the limits of acceptable expression. Several of the statues in this history were removed, destroyed or dismantled, showing how political art can become part of the controversy it seeks to examine.
The Strasbourg display is particularly notable because the European Parliament is a major symbol of democratic debate, even though the institution itself did not create or endorse the artwork. The statue’s presence there placed a piece of American political satire in a prominent European setting.
What happens next?
After its appearance in Strasbourg, The Orange Plague is scheduled to travel to COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. Its next setting will again place the sculpture among international discussions, this time around climate policy and global cooperation.
Whether viewers see the work as effective criticism, theatrical provocation or offensive spectacle, its purpose is clear: to use an exaggerated public image to challenge the way political authority is represented.
Conclusion
The Orange Plague is the latest example of how artists use sculpture to comment on Donald Trump and the politics surrounding him. Its display near the European Parliament does not represent an EU decision or official parliamentary position, but it demonstrates how public art can bring international political arguments into European spaces. The sculpture’s planned move to COP31 will extend that debate into another setting where questions of power, responsibility and climate policy are already central.
