Ahead of Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, an Ohio artist has unveiled a giant 15-foot-tall, $1 million bronze statute of the Republican leader. Titled “The Patriot Statue of Donald J. Trump,” the statue was created by sculptor Alan Cottrill. It depicts the Presdient-elect’s iconic moment from July 13, when he defiantly pumped his fist after surviving an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The statue will tour across the country before being displayed at a future Trump presidential library, the New York Post reported. 

The statue was commissioned by several dozen wealthy crypto-currency investors as a tribute to Donald Trump, who they hope will be a friend of the industry. “We’re so proud of the statue we all worked so hard to complete. It turned out exactly as planned and is truly fit to match the man it’s dedicated to! Larger Than Life!!!” crypto community Patriot Token wrote while sharing the picture of the bronze statue on X. 

Take a look below: 

The first image of the finished PATRIOT Statue of @realDonaldTrump was published today.

We’re so proud of the statue we all worked so hard to complete. It turned out exactly as planned and is truly fit to match the man it’s dedicated to!

Larger Than Life!!! pic.twitter.com/CycaYX0K5l

— Patriot Token (@Patriot_Erc20) January 18, 2025

The six-ton statute was commissioned just a week after the shooting, as per the Post. It is set to be unveiled at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C, and It’s then expected to tour the country.

“People will be making a pilgrimage to see this thing. Trump has a fan base that I don’t think we’ve seen in a politician in a very long time,” said Brock Pierce, a crypto-billionaire who helped finance the project.

“We do expect President Trump to be with the statue at some point during the inauguration,” added Dustin Stockton, a conservative activist and unofficial spokesperson for the investors.

Notably, Donald Trump will formally return to the White House after his second inauguration as president of the United States on January 20. He won the US presidential elections with a landslide victory after defeating outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris. He is set to take over from the incumbent President Joe Biden.

 Along with Mr Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance will also be sworn into office on Monday. This day, traditionally known as Inauguration Day, is marked by events filled with pomp and celebration. The inauguration day events will include a formal swearing-in ceremony, musical performances, a celebratory parade and several formal balls.

Billionaire Elon Musk has revealed what he and Barron Trump discussed while celebrating Thanksgiving at Mar-a-Lago. US President-elect Donald Trump hosted a lavish Thanksgiving dinner at his Flordia home, alongside family and special guests including Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk and his mother, Maye Musk. Several videos surfaced from the night, in which the Musks were seen sharing the same table as Mr Trump, his wife Melania, and their youngest son, Barron. The clip went viral and left many speculating what the VIP guests were discussing during the event. 

One X user jokingly shared a screenshot of Mr Trump speaking with Barron, with a mocked conversation. “‘Is it okay if I’m friends with Elon?’ ‘I’ll allow it, Father,'” the caption of the post read. Mr Musk replied to the tweet, saying he had been talking to the president-elect’s son about “consciousness and video games”. 

I was discussing consciousness & video games with Barron

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 29, 2024

Mr Musk’s mother, Maye, also joined the conversation and wrote, “They were talking all night. Barron is very smart.”

The Musk family presence at Mr Trump’s Thanksgiving celebration added a special touch to the family gathering, which also featured a moment when Mr Musk was seen grooving to the ‘YMCA’ song while seated alongside the president-elect. The clip captured Mr Trump playfully tapping Mr Musk on the shoulder, prompting the billionaire to raise his hand and move to the beat. 

“Hope you had a great Thanksgiving,” Mr Musk later posted on X. 

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! https://t.co/CQMGaAODKq

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 29, 2024

At the event, the billionaire was also spotted spending time with actor Sylvester Stallone. “I was telling @TheSlyStallone that I just watched Demolition Man again and how well it predicted the crazy woke future 30 years ago!” Mr Musk wrote on X, referring to the movie that stars Stallone.

Also read | Watch: Man Eats Banana Artwork He Bought For Rs 52 Crore In Auction

Notably, Mr Musk has been using his social media platform X to endorse Mr Trump’s cabinet picks and promote his own preferred candidates. Mr Musk, who has over 206 million followers on X, posted or reposted about Mr Trump’s cabinet picks more than 70 times between November 7 and November 20, a Reuters review found. In between his constant postings of memes of himself and Mr Trump, the X boss has even embraced a title suggested for his role: “First Buddy”.

File photo of Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump.
| Photo Credit: AP

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, will not be a delegate representing Florida at the Republican National Convention in July due to prior commitments, the office of his mother Melania said on May 10.

On May 9, a campaign official said Barron Trump, 18, had been selected by the state party as a delegate from Florida, a notable move given that he has kept largely out of the public eye during the campaign.

“While Barron is honoured to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments,” Melania Trump’s office said in a statement.

In Florida, presidential campaigns submit a list of proposed delegates to the state party, which in this case would have included Mr. Barron Trump.

Delegates are allocated following primary contests in each state. While the rules are complex, delegates are typically assigned to represent a candidate at the convention, where the nominee is officially selected.

Mr. Donald Trump is set to face President Joe Biden in November’s presidential election.

Donald Trump’s younger son Barron is making news after making a rare appearance with his parents on Easter 2024. The 18-year-old is busy with his college decisions but still took time out to for a family get together. Barron Trump was seen at the Mar-a-Lago club, walking side by side with his mother Melania on Sunday, March 31. The video was shared by Ron Filipkowski on his X account and was picked up by several other users. The Trump family had gathered at Mar-a-Lago for an Easter brunch.

Barron Trump wore a classy navy blue two-piece suit with a yellow tie and towered over her former model mother, who stunned in a mid-length white Alaia dress and pale pink heels.

Watch the video:

The First Lady and Barron Trump at the Mar-a-Lago today.

They seem to be in GREAT spirits.

God Bless them! pic.twitter.com/zEJADp0JnV

— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) April 1, 2024

Other members of the family who attended the event were Melania’s father, Victor Knavs, the former US president’s sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump – along with his wife Lara and their children.

Who is Barron Trump?

Mr Trump married Melania (then Knauss) in 2005 and on March 20, 2006, she gave birth to Barron. He is Mr Trump’s fifth child and Melania’s first, according to People Magazine.

The outlet further said that Barron spent his childhood at his family’s lavish penthouse in New York and attended prestigious private schools in Manhattan.

When Mr Trump was elected US President and began his term in January 2017, Melania and Barron stayed back in Manhattan so that he could finish school. He officially moved into the White House a few months later.

In September 2023, in an interview with US journalist Megyn Kelly, Mr Trump praised his youngest son.

“Barron is a very good athlete. He’s a good kid. He’s a good-looking kid. He’s a great student,” he said.

When Mr Trump’s presidential term ended in 2021, it was revealed that Barron would be attending the Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Florida, where he will be graduating with the class of 2024. He turned 18 in March 2024.