Monday, 12 May 2025
Monday, 12 May 2025
US President Donald Trump has installed a new art piece at the Oval Office - a statue depicting the aftermath of the July 2024 assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The statue captures the moment when Trump, blood streaming from a wound to his right ear, raised his fist and shouted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” to rallygoers at the Butler Farm Show Grounds.
The sculpture now sits prominently on a side table next to the Resolute Desk, according to the New York Post.
Sculpted by artist Stan Watts, the piece portrays Trump being shielded and ushered offstage by three Secret Service agents, including current director Sean Curran.
A vertically-hung American flag, replicating the one displayed at the Butler rally, is also part of the artwork.
The moment immortalised in bronze occurred on July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire during Trump’s campaign event, grazing the then-presidential candidate’s ear.
As chaos unfolded, Trump raised his fist, yelling “Fight! Fight! Fight!”—a gesture that has since become emblematic among his supporters.
On X, the White House posted a photo of the statue with the caption, "Fight! Fight! Fight! Spotted in the Oval Office."
Stan Watts reportedly plans to create a larger, 9-foot bronze version of the sculpture, according to the Trump Statue Project’s website.
The image of Trump’s raised fist has since become a rallying cry for his MAGA base.
The US president has capitalised on the moment’s popularity by selling merchandise featuring the image on his official website, Trumpstore.com.
This is not the artistic tribute to the Butler incident now displayed at the White House.
Last month, a painting by artist Marc Lipp — based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci — was installed in the spot previously occupied by the portrait of former US President Barack Obama.
It depicts Trump moments after the shooting, blood-splattered and defiant, with the American flag in the background.
Special Assistant to the President and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields clarified in a post on X on April 12 that the portrait of former President Barack Obama remains in the Entrance Hall of the White House State Floor.
The Obama painting is displayed in a prime spot overlooking former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Steinway grand piano in the Grand Foyer of the East Wing.
Since his return to office in January, President Trump has extensively personalised the West Wing’s interior, adding gold accents to furniture and decor reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago residence.
