The statue “Approved by the dictator” on the National Mall takes aim at Trump
An eight-foot-tall sculpture titled “Dictator Approved” has appeared on the National Mall in Washington DC
A sculpture depicting a cracked Statue of Liberty, crushed under a golden thumb and emblazoned with the inscription “Dictator Approved,” has appeared on the National Mall in Washington, DC
The 8-foot-tall art installation, an apparent criticism of President Donald Trump, has attracted the attention of visitors to the Capitol this week.
It's unclear who placed it there, but it was first spotted Tuesday.
In addition to the golden inscription reading “Dictator Approved,” the statue's pedestal features quotes praising Trump from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
“President Trump is a very bright and talented man,” the quote from Putin reads.
“The most respected and most feared person is Donald Trump,” the quote reads Orban.
The statue has the required permit to be placed on the National Mall, a spokesperson for the National Park Service told The Washington Post.
The permit application, according to Washingtonian, states that the purpose of the statue is to highlight the similarities between last weekend's military parade in the United States and similar parades held under autocratic regimes such as North Korea, Russia, and China.
“This statue will draw attention to that image by linking our American traditions of freedom with the praise that these types of oppressive leaders have given to Donald Trump,” the permit application states.