Politics

/

ArcaMax

There's a giant statue of a naked Trump in Philadelphia's Juniata Park

Julia Terruso, The Philadelphia Inquirer on

Published in Political News

PHILADELPHIA — Another statue of former President Donald Trump appeared in Philadelphia Thursday — the second in as many days — except larger and more obscene.

The detailed 40-foot naked Trump effigy hung by crane on Kensington Avenue to the curiosity, disgust, and delight of passersby.

The statue looks like one that went up in Madison, which was part of a “Crooked and Obscene Tour,” the Capital Times reported. In the past month, the statue has made appearances in Las Vegas, Detroit and Phoenix.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the statue is made of foam and rebar and weighs about 6,000 pounds.

Philadelphia GOP Chair Vince Fenerty heard about the statue on police scanners and filed an obscenity report with police. On site, with the beige monstrosity dangling above him, he said officers told him the space was rented for 24 hours by the artists but that due to the statue’s graphic nature, police have asked it to be disassembled.

Efforts to reach the lot owner were not immediately successful and police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“It’s appalling,” Fenerty said. “There’s two day cares and a school right here and you can see it from the El.”

In fact, Justin Eccleston, 21, of Northeast Philly was riding the El when he saw it. He got off to get a closer look.

“I love freedom of speech,” said Eccleston, who does not support Trump. “That’s crazy you can’t do that everywhere.”

But several people laughing at the statue in the largely Latino neighborhood said they were supporters. “I think it’s hilarious,” said Miguel, a former Democrat who now backs Trump but did not want to give his last name.

A woman suggested getting a Puerto Rican flag to wrap around the art installation’s lower half.

 

Art installations have become a popular avenue to protest Trump in cities across the country. A gold-colored statue making a crude hand gesture made a brief appearance behind the Maja statue at Maja Park on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Wednesday — city workers removed it by noon. Its plaque read, “In honor of a lifetime of sexual assault.” A similar installation appeared in Portland, Ore., Sunday.

As if the Halloween scene wasn’t bizarre on its own, at one point a woman driving a scooter dressed as Beetlejuice passed by and minutes later a kid on a bike in a Scream mask snapped a photo.

Kensington Avenue was a logjam as people gawked driving by. “Four more years!” someone shouted. “Some people have way too much time on their hands,” another passerby said.

Neighbors said they saw the artists starting construction yesterday.

Evan Pollack, an iron worker, biked over after seeing pictures of the installation on Instagram. He said he wasn’t feeling amazing about the election — he is not supporting Trump — but enjoyed the moment of levity in a high-stakes campaign.

“It’s hilarious that someone put that amount of work into something so insane.”

_____

(Staff writer Ximena Conde contributed to this article.)

_____


©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

Related Channels

ACLU

ACLU

By The ACLU
Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman

By Amy Goodman
Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams

By Armstrong Williams
Austin Bay

Austin Bay

By Austin Bay
Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro

By Ben Shapiro
Betsy McCaughey

Betsy McCaughey

By Betsy McCaughey
Bill Press

Bill Press

By Bill Press
Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas

By Cal Thomas
Christine Flowers

Christine Flowers

By Christine Flowers
Clarence Page

Clarence Page

By Clarence Page
Danny Tyree

Danny Tyree

By Danny Tyree
David Harsanyi

David Harsanyi

By David Harsanyi
Debra Saunders

Debra Saunders

By Debra Saunders
Dennis Prager

Dennis Prager

By Dennis Prager
Dick Polman

Dick Polman

By Dick Polman
Erick Erickson

Erick Erickson

By Erick Erickson
Froma Harrop

Froma Harrop

By Froma Harrop
Jacob Sullum

Jacob Sullum

By Jacob Sullum
Jamie Stiehm

Jamie Stiehm

By Jamie Stiehm
Jeff Robbins

Jeff Robbins

By Jeff Robbins
Jessica Johnson

Jessica Johnson

By Jessica Johnson
Jim Hightower

Jim Hightower

By Jim Hightower
Joe Conason

Joe Conason

By Joe Conason
Joe Guzzardi

Joe Guzzardi

By Joe Guzzardi
John Micek

John Micek

By John Micek
John Stossel

John Stossel

By John Stossel
Josh Hammer

Josh Hammer

By Josh Hammer
Judge Andrew Napolitano

Judge Andrew Napolitano

By Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
Laura Hollis

Laura Hollis

By Laura Hollis
Marc Munroe Dion

Marc Munroe Dion

By Marc Munroe Dion
Michael Barone

Michael Barone

By Michael Barone
Michael Reagan

Michael Reagan

By Michael Reagan
Mona Charen

Mona Charen

By Mona Charen
Oliver North and David L. Goetsch

Oliver North and David L. Goetsch

By Oliver North and David L. Goetsch
R. Emmett Tyrrell

R. Emmett Tyrrell

By R. Emmett Tyrrell
Rachel Marsden

Rachel Marsden

By Rachel Marsden
Rich Lowry

Rich Lowry

By Rich Lowry
Robert B. Reich

Robert B. Reich

By Robert B. Reich
Ruben Navarrett Jr

Ruben Navarrett Jr

By Ruben Navarrett Jr.
Ruth Marcus

Ruth Marcus

By Ruth Marcus
S.E. Cupp

S.E. Cupp

By S.E. Cupp
Salena Zito

Salena Zito

By Salena Zito
Star Parker

Star Parker

By Star Parker
Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore

By Stephen Moore
Susan Estrich

Susan Estrich

By Susan Estrich
Ted Rall

Ted Rall

By Ted Rall
Terence P. Jeffrey

Terence P. Jeffrey

By Terence P. Jeffrey
Tim Graham

Tim Graham

By Tim Graham
Tom Purcell

Tom Purcell

By Tom Purcell
Veronique de Rugy

Veronique de Rugy

By Veronique de Rugy
Victor Joecks

Victor Joecks

By Victor Joecks
Wayne Allyn Root

Wayne Allyn Root

By Wayne Allyn Root

Comics

Bob Gorrell Pat Byrnes Bill Bramhall John Deering Eric Allie Drew Sheneman