A towering golden statue of Donald Trump clutching a Bitcoin appeared in Washington, D.C., drawing crowds and sparking debate over the intersection of politics, art, and cryptocurrency. The installation, which stood about twelve feet tall, was placed near the U.S. Capitol and was visible for much of the day before being removed. It was the work of a group of crypto enthusiasts and meme-coin promoters associated with the platform Pump.fun, who also launched a token called DJTGST—short for Donald J. Trump Golden Statue Token—to accompany the stunt.
The statue’s sudden unveiling was timed to coincide with the Federal Reserve’s announcement of its first interest rate cut of 2025, a quarter-point reduction that lowered rates from roughly 4.3 percent to 4.1 percent. Organizers said the golden Trump was designed to symbolize the former president’s support for Bitcoin and to provoke conversation about the future of government-issued currency in an era of decentralized finance. One organizer, Hichem Zaghdoudi, described it as a statement piece at the crossroads of modern politics and financial innovation.
Built from hardened foam but engineered to make a bold visual impression, the statue’s creation was documented in livestreams and shared widely on social media. Videos of the statue being carved and carried into place added to its viral appeal. Supporters saw it as a lighthearted yet meaningful gesture celebrating Trump’s embrace of Bitcoin and what they view as his role in pushing digital currency into the mainstream. Critics, however, dismissed the installation as a publicity stunt meant to hype a risky meme coin, raising concerns about the trivialization of politics and the use of public space for marketing schemes.
Whether viewed as satire, spectacle, or a genuine political statement, the golden statue underscored the growing overlap between cryptocurrency culture and the American political landscape. Its timing alongside the Fed’s rate cut added another layer of symbolism, linking the future of traditional monetary policy with the speculative world of digital assets. Though the statue was temporary, disappearing as quickly as it had arrived, it left behind an image that blended celebrity, power, and crypto into one striking and controversial tableau.
