Trump bemoans a portrait of him - but gets a new one from Putin

US President Donald Trump received a new portrait from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump criticized an existing painting of himself, calling it "truly the worst."

The new portrait has not been publicly displayed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it a "personal gift." He stated that only Putin could share more details.

Trump shared his thoughts on Truth Social about a previous painting. This painting was removed from the Colorado State Capitol building on Monday.

Trump is known for carefully managing his image. In January, he unveiled an official portrait that critics described as serious or ominous.

Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy, confirmed receipt of the new portrait from Moscow. He said he was asked to bring it back to Washington. Witkoff described it as a "beautiful portrait" by a "leading Russian artist," but did not provide further critique. He noted that Trump was "clearly touched by it."

Peskov confirmed the gift while American and Russian negotiators met in Saudi Arabia. This meeting is part of Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The gift signifies improved diplomatic relations between the two nations since Trump returned to office in January. Witkoff mentioned that Putin had been "gracious" during their recent meeting.

Putin reportedly told Witkoff he prayed for Trump after an assassination attempt last year. This attempt occurred during a rally in Pennsylvania and led to an iconic image of Trump with a bloody ear.

AP photographer Evan Vucci captured this moment as Trump raised his fist and urged supporters to "fight, fight, fight." Trump later used this image on the cover of a book.

Trump has not publicly commented on the new portrait from Putin yet. However, he expressed strong opinions about the Colorado painting.

He claimed it was "purposefully distorted" beyond recognition on Truth Social. He contrasted this with Barack Obama's portrayal by the same artist, Sarah Boardman, which he praised as looking "wonderful."

During last year's presidential campaign, Trump reportedly lost up to 30 pounds due to being busy and unable to eat much.

He also used the controversy over the portrait for political commentary against Colorado Governor Jared Polis, labeling him as “radical” and “extremely weak on crime.”

However, US media clarified that the portrait's commissioning had nothing to do with Polis. It resulted from a crowdfunding campaign initiated by Republicans after a prankster placed an image of Putin there temporarily.

Following backlash over its removal, Colorado House leadership ordered its withdrawal on Monday afternoon. The painting will be stored securely until further notice.

The BBC reached out to Ms Boardman for her comments regarding her work. She acknowledged in 2019 that anger towards presidents is common due to human nature.

Another artist expressed differing views but sympathized with Boardman’s challenges in creating presidential portraits. Robert Anderson created George W Bush's official portrait and noted viewers often bring personal biases when assessing art quality.

Anderson remarked that capturing Trump's likeness would be difficult due to his unique self-perception compared to public opinion.

A spokesman for Governor Polis expressed surprise at Trump's interest in Colorado's Capitol artwork. The statement emphasized appreciation for everyone's interest in improving visitor experiences at their building.