Portrait of resilience: Trump raises fist post-assassination attempt
CNN showcased on Tuesday the portrait of the U.S. president that he received in March from Vladimir Putin. It shows Donald Trump after an assassination attempt on his life, which occurred last year in Pennsylvania.
What do you need to know?
- The American station CNN showed a portrait of Donald Trump that the U.S. president received in March from Vladimir Putin.
- The painting depicts Trump after an assassination attempt on his life in Pennsylvania in 2024.
- The portrait had not been publicly displayed until now, but CNN contacted the artist, who showed the station a digital version on a tablet.
The portrait was delivered to Trump by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff. In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson, Witkoff described the artwork as a beautiful portrait created by a well-known Russian artist, noting that Trump was clearly very moved by it.
The portrait of Trump, given to him by Putin, revealed
The painting, which had not been publicly displayed before, depicts Trump raising his fist after an assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania in 2024.
"It was important to me to show the blood, the scar and his bravery during the attempt on his life. He didn’t break down or become afraid, but raised his arm to show he is one with America and will bring back what it deserves," said the portrait's artist, Russian artist Nikas Safronov, to CNN in Moscow. The American station contacted him, and he showed a digital version of the painting on a tablet.
Safronov is the author of portraits of many leaders, including Pope Francis, Indian leader Narendra Modi, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.