A bronze statue of Melania Trump has been stolen from her native Slovenia, with thieves cutting it off cleanly at the ankles.
Police are investigating the disappearance of Melania Trump’s bronze statue
Slovenian police confirmed that the statue of former first lady Melania Trump was reported stolen on May 13, triggering an investigation.
The life-size sculpture had been placed near Sevnica, the town where Melania Trump grew up during the Communist era in Yugoslavia.
Authorities stated the statue was sawed off at the feet and removed from its wooden base in a remote grassy area.
“Police officers visited the scene and launched an investigation immediately,” a spokesperson said in an official statement released Thursday.
The bronze piece was commissioned by American artist Brad Downey after the original wooden statue was destroyed in an arson attack.
Downey had always planned to cast a bronze version for a gallery but instead replaced the torched sculpture in the original location.
The earlier wooden figure, carved from a tree trunk by local artist Ales Zupevc, was burned and then exhibited in an art show.
That wooden version portrayed Melania in her iconic 2017 inaugural pale-blue dress, though its abstract style drew mixed public reactions.
Artist Brad Downey links the theft to Trump’s political return.
Downey expressed disappointment at the statue’s disappearance and hinted that it may be politically motivated amid Trump’s 2024 campaign resurgence.
“I’m a bit sad it’s gone,” he said. “My feeling is it has something to do with the new election—but who knows?”
The artist has long explored themes of identity, nationalism, and public memory through controversial and symbolic public installations.
Locals felt the Melania statue didn’t represent her or the town.
Reaction in Sevnica has been largely indifferent or dismissive, with residents saying the statue didn’t evoke pride or strong emotion.
“No one was really proud of this statue,” said Franja Kranjc, who runs a bakery selling Melania-branded cakes and treats.
The bronze statue’s lack of facial likeness and symbolic style made it a subject of debate rather than admiration in the town.
Sevnica, home to 5,000 residents, has capitalized on Melania’s fame with themed products like chocolate, honey, and souvenirs for tourists.
The bronze statue had little resemblance to melania trump and was often viewed as abstract rather than a direct likeness
Critics said the statue bore little resemblance to Melania Trump, with a vague shape and lack of identifiable facial features.
The original wooden sculpture was similarly abstract, intended more as artistic expression than a realistic portrayal of the former first lady.
Despite the controversy, both versions of the statue became cultural touchpoints in Slovenia, attracting international media attention and tourist curiosity.
The bronze replica was even shown at an art exhibition in Croatia in 2023. Afterward, it returned to Sevnica, where it was later stolen.”
The Melania Trump statue theft underscores tensions between public art, political symbolism, and local sentiment in her native Slovenia.
With investigations ongoing, the theft remains a criminal case. It also serves as a symbolic moment reflecting the polarizing figure Melania has become
Whether political protest or cultural critique, the statue’s disappearance adds another chapter to the strange journey of Melania’s Slovenian monument.