Trump’s 22-foot golden statue ‘Don Colossus’ set to go on display in Miami ahead of G20 summit

MIAMI, FLORIDA: World leaders scheduled to attend the G20 summit will not only be greeted by President Donald Trump in Miami but also apparently by a huge golden statue resembling the US leader.

The 22-foot-tall bronze statue of the president, set to be covered in pure gold leaf, has been nicknamed “Don Colossus” by cryptocurrency enthusiasts from Patriot Token, who funded its creation. The group reportedly commissioned the statue to promote their memecoin, $PATRIOT.

Sculptor had to 'thin' Trump down

To display the statue by Alan Cottrill, a steel and concrete pedestal has been built at Trump National Doral near Miami.

In a January post, Patriot Token had said, “The team at Trump Doral will be busy cladding the pedestal, installing a ton of up/down lighting and landscaping in the coming days. What @realDonaldTrump has in store for the $PATRIOT community and his inner circle for this unveiling will surely be spectacular!”

Meanwhile, the Ohio-based sculptor has revealed that when he first created the statue, he was asked to make some changes. “I had him very lifelike. The crypto guys said I had to get rid of some of the turkey neck. I had to thin him down,” he shared.

But Cottril, who has made statues of other former presidents as well, has not handed over the project to the Patriot Token yet because they apparently unlawfully used a picture of his work to promote their memecoin.

Sculptor accuses Patriot Token of no payment

The artist also stated that he has not yet received $90,000 from his patrons of the $150,000 total payment for the rights to the statue. He asserted, “That statue will not leave my foundry until everything they owe me is paid.”

However, one of the persons who funded the project, Ashley Sansalone, said that Cottril will be given the full amount before the unveiling of the statue. Sansalone added, “Under any business agreement, there’s always some funds withheld until the finished product is complete.”

Besides, it has been said that Trump’s new statue is based on a photo taken of him just after the failed assassination of him in July 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Eric Trump denies association with Patriot Token

However, Eric Trump has denied the Trump Organization’s link with the Patriot Token or meme coin ($PATRIOT). In a post on X, he wrote, “The Trump Organization has no association of any kind with the Patriot Token or meme coin ($PATRIOT) referenced below. We appreciate the support and enthusiasm, but we want to be crystal clear — we are not involved in this coin.”

Trump and his administration are, however, very much involved in planning for this year’s Group of 20 summit. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been given the responsibility of organizing the agenda for the meeting, believed to focus on “unleashing economic prosperity by limiting, eliminating the burdens of regulations, unlocking affordable energy, and pioneering new technologies.”