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Nude Trump on tour: Naked statue of former president appears again in new city after vanishing in Vegas

Artist says statue will travel across the country

Josh Marcus
San Francisco
Friday 04 October 2024 22:18 BST
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Public react to 43ft nude Trump statue erected along Las Vegas highway

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A 43-foot tall nude effigy of Donald Trump has reportedly reappeared behind a marijuana dispensary in Arizona, after disappearing last week from beside a highway near Las Vegas.

The statue is situated on private property, and the parcel’s majority owner Tom Yarak told Axios he agreed to the stunt as a business transaction, not to make a political statement.

"I’m like Switzerland, brother,” he told the outlet.

The 6,000 pound statue, dubbed Crooked and Obscene, was first spotted in late September hovering over Interstate 15.

Though the work was shown on private property, local officials asked to have it removed.

The Nevada Republican Party condemned the stunt, calling it “deplorable” and designed for “shock value rather than meaningful dialogue.”

“President Trump and Republicans are focused on delivering results that matter—reducing inflation, securing our borders, creating jobs, and ensuring a brighter future for all Americans,” the party said in a statement. “While Democrats, especially Kamala Harris, continue to prioritize shock value over substance. President Trump is the only candidate in this race standing up for working men and women across Nevada.

A 43-foot-tall naked statue resembling former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is displayed in a fenced-in lot near Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 28
A 43-foot-tall naked statue resembling former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is displayed in a fenced-in lot near Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 28 (AFP via Getty Images)

The individuals involved with the marionette effort have asked to so far remained anonymous, though they told The Wrap the piece was meant as a “bold statement on transparency, vulnerability, and the public personas of political figures,” meant to inspire discussion on  “transparency—or lack thereof—in politics, challenging viewers to think critically about political influence.”

The organizers of the display also said they plan to take Crooked and Obscene on a tour of different locations around the country.

Both Nevada and Arizona are considered important swing states during the 2024 election.

According to our poll tracker, Kamala Harris has about a three percent projected lead over Donald Trump.

This lead has carried over into the swing states as well, with Harris leading Trump by three points in Arizona and seven points in Nevada.

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