Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Melania Trump sculpture in Slovenia set on fire on the Fourth of July

Melania Trump sculpture in Slovenia set on fire on the Fourth of July

As the U.S. celebrated its Independence Day and President Trump vowed to punish those who destroy U.S. monuments, a life-sized sculpture of first lady Melania Trump was burned near her hometown in Slovenia.

Brad Downey, the Berlin-based American artist who commissioned the sculpture, told Reuters that police told him what happened the day following the incident. The wooden sculpture, he told Reuters, was blackened and disfigured.

"I want to know why they did it," Downey said. He told Reuters that he had hoped the sculpture of Mrs.

Trump would spark conversation about political issues in the U.S., namely regarding immigration. Downey said he filed a police report and is hoping to interview the person or people who burned the sculpture for a film he is working on.

Police spokeswoman Alenka Drenik told Reuters that the investigation is ongoing, "so we cannot reveal details to the interest of further procedures."



The wooden sculpture of Mrs. Trump was unveiled just a year earlier. The installation depicts Melania as she was on President Donald Trump's inauguration day — wearing her light blue coat and waving her left hand at onlookers.

The sculpture, carved in a living linden tree trunk with a chainsaw, was originally met with mixed opinions by locals. One resident told Reuters in 2019 that the Melania depicted in the sculpture "does not look as beautiful as she normally is," while another local told BBC News that it looked like "Smurfette."

Sculptures of Mr. Trump have also been damaged. In January, a nearly 26-foot statue of Mr. Trump was burned to the ground in Slovenia, according to The Associated Press. The statue apparently depicted Mr. Trump with a blue suit, white shirt and a red tie. He's shown with his right fist thrust into the air, and there's a mechanism that opens his mouth to show shark-like teeth.

On July 3, Mr. and Mrs. Trump celebrated at Mount Rushmore, where Mr. Trump announced an executive order to create a "National Garden of American Heroes" that will feature statues "of the greatest Americans to ever live."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×