European lawmaker dares Trump to complain about his naked golden statue in parliament
A towering 8.5‑foot sculpture of a nude Donald Trump, coated in 23‑carat gold leaf, has taken up a busy crossing inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Titled Orange Plague (also known as King of Injustice), the work shows Trump perched on the shoulders of a smaller, clothed figure, brandishing a golf club whose ball resembles the Earth and holding scales of justice.
Danish artist Jens Galschiot says the piece draws on The Emperor’s New Clothes, casting the former president as a vain ruler whose subjects are too afraid to point out his nakedness. The plinth bears a provocative inscription about Trump 'sitting on the back of a man…except stepping down from his back,' underscoring the artist’s critique of what he calls a threat to the rules‑based world order.
The installation, arranged by left‑wing MEP Per Clausen, is slated to remain until Thursday, inviting visitors to take miniature replicas and even download 3D‑print files. The statue has already toured venues such as last year’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil and this year’s Munich Security Conference, turning it into a roaming symbol of political dissent.
Reactions range from amused defiance to pointed warnings; Clausen remarks that anyone 'thin‑skinned' enough to be offended has no place on the world stage. While the White House has stayed silent, the work stands in stark contrast to the more flattering tributes Trump has commissioned for his own properties.