A gold-plated 8.5-foot-tall statue of U.S. President Donald Trump, coated in 23-carat gold, was displayed inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, it is titled "The Orange Plague" or "The Orange Plague" with the nickname "King of Injustice," satirizing the U.S. leader's exercise of power and questioning environmental direction and rule-based global order.
The nude statue of U.S. President Donald Trump, coated in 23-carat gold, was exhibited in a hallway inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on 6 October, attracting attention from politicians and passersby alike.
The work is a copper sculpture approximately 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) tall, created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, titled "The Orange Plague" or "The Orange Plague," also known as "King of Injustice."
The statue shows a nude Trump sitting on the shoulders of a small, thin man who appears to be struggling under the heavy weight. Trump's legs are wrapped around the man's head, one hand holds a golf club and a ball resembling the Earth, while the other hand holds the scales of justice.
At the base of the statue is an inscription stating that those in power are sitting on the back of a man who is sinking under the burden he carries, and although the man does everything to help, the only thing he will not do is "step down from his back."
Galschiøt said this piece is a satire of Trump and what he sees as the U.S.'s assault on the transition to a green economy and on the rules-based global order, stating that Trump is destroying things he believes in.
The artist revealed that depicting Trump nude references Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Emperor’s New Clothes," about a vain emperor parading through town without clothes, explaining that dictators dislike being mocked.
Galschiøt said he chose Trump as the subject because he believes the U.S. president's policies impact climate efforts by rolling back previous progress and destroying scientific data documenting climate change. He also accused the U.S. of using economic power and pressure to block other countries from advancing environmental policies.
However, the exhibition does not represent an official stance of the European Union or the European Parliament but is supported by Per Clausen, a Danish member of the European Parliament from the Red-Green Alliance party, part of the left-wing political group.
The European Parliament's rules allow members to support cultural exhibitions within the Parliament, subject to approval by relevant officials. The rules specify that events or exhibitions must not cause offense, provoke, or contradict the EU's core values, nor damage the Parliament's dignity.
A spokesperson for the European Parliament stated that the exhibition was approved by the Quaestors, a group of MEPs from various parties responsible for administrative matters. Each member may support two cultural events or exhibitions per term, and the Quaestors ensure compliance with regulations.
Clausen said the exhibition aims to open discussions about global power and its use, viewing Trump's policies as a key issue for Europe, and seeks to encourage Europe to explore ways to protect itself and formulate policies independent of the U.S. president.
The exhibition ran for three days, expected to remain open until Thursday, with over 1,000 small 3D-printed miniature sculptures distributed to passersby as "symbols of protest." Those unable to visit can print the 3D model themselves and share it to express their stance.
Galschiøt is a renowned artist known for politically charged works that provoke controversy, such as "Pillar of Shame," a memorial to the Tiananmen Square massacre victims in 1989, which was removed from a Hong Kong university in 2021.
Previously, "The Orange Plague" was exhibited at various venues, including the Munich Security Conference in Germany and the United Nations COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November 2025. Plans are underway to display it at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, this November. President Trump has not commented on the artwork.