A towering gold-leaf monument depicting Donald Trump has been installed at his Florida golf resort, triggering widespread criticism and comparisons to authoritarian regimes.
The 15-foot bronze sculpture, weighing 3.1 tons and nicknamed "Don Colossus," now stands at Trump National Doral Miami between the first tee and driving range.
Coated in thick gold leaf, the statue captures the US President with his fist raised defiantly — recreating his response moments after surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania during the 2024 campaign.
The monument appeared just days before the venue hosts the PGA Tour's Cadillac Championship, marking the course's return to the tour calendar after last staging an event in 2016.
Donald Trump has erected a 15-foot gold statue of himself
|X
Its "dictator-chic" appearance has provoked fierce online debate.
Social media users swiftly drew parallels between the gleaming figure and the famous bronze monuments honouring Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.
Mike Sington, a former NBCUniversal senior executive, condemned the installation on X, writing: "Trump's Doral National golf course in Miami installs gold statue of Trump, which is remarkably similar to one of Dear Leader in North Korea."
Dr Sam Youssef, a vocal Trump critic, suggested the monument demonstrated the President had realised his "dream of becoming like North Korean leaders."
One social media user branded the display "narcissistic," whilst another wrote: "Crazy stuff. All that's left is to declare martial law, cancel elections and declare himself dictator for life."
Donald Trump has been accused of acting like a dictator after the statue was erected
| GETTYOthers dismissed such comparisons as overblown, noting the sculpture sits on private property.
Professional golfers at the resort offered lukewarm reactions to the golden monument ahead of this week's tournament.
Rickie Fowler appeared unfazed by the installation, telling Golfweek: "What else would you expect."
Speaking to The Palm Beach Post, he added: "It's big and gold. About all I got. It's his place — he can do whatever he wants."
When asked whether he might pose alongside it, Fowler quipped: "It's going to make me look smaller than I already am."
Fellow professional Maverick McNealy offered a similarly understated assessment to Golfweek: "It is very tall and very gold."
McNealy indicated he remained undecided about whether he would take a photograph with the sculpture.
The atmosphere reportedly turned awkward when a tournament photographer requested PGA Tour staff pose for a group shot beside the statue, only to receive a collective refusal.
The sculpture was created by Ohio-based artist Alan Cottrill, who was commissioned by a cryptocurrency group called $PATRIOT for approximately $360,000, with an additional $60,000 spent on the gold finish.
However, the project became mired in dispute after Cottrill accused the crypto group of exploiting the statue's image to promote meme coins before payment was fully settled.
The artist claimed he was still owed $75,000 for intellectual property rights, and the monument remained locked away in Muskingum County, Ohio until terms were finalised.
Cottrill ultimately transported the piece to Miami himself.
The plaque has been install “Fight! Fight! Fight!” At the new Donald Trump statue pic.twitter.com/3hyorPGz0f
— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) April 29, 2026
The Trump family has sought to distance itself from the cryptocurrency venture, with Eric Trump stating on X: "We appreciate the support and enthusiasm, but we want to be crystal clear — we are not involved in this coin."
The White House has confirmed it has no connection to the $PATRIOT group.