A wax museum in San Antonio, Texas, had no choice but to remove its statue of former President Donald Trump because visitors kept attacking it.
Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks made the decision to transfer the statue from the gallery to a storage unit after numerous instances of punching and scratching caused significant damage to the figure.
According to Suzanne Smagala-Potts, a spokesperson for the museum’s parent company, Ripley Entertainment, such incidents are not uncommon when it comes to presidential figures. She mentioned that similar attacks have occurred with statues of Obama, Bush, and even celebrity figures. Smagala-Potts explained that while unfortunate, it is a normal occurrence.
Scratches to the statues’s face were especially marring, said Clay Stewart, Ripley’s regional manager, in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News.
Stewart acknowledged that attacks tend to escalate when it involves highly political figures. He said, “When it’s a highly political figure, attacks can be a problem.”
According to Suzanne Smagala-Potts, a spokesperson for the museum’s parent company, Ripley Entertainment, that statues often require repairs due to general wear and tear caused by visitors posing for photos, including hugging or touching the figures. However, she emphasized that political figures can be more polarizing, depending on people’s political leanings. The museum remains neutral and unbiased in its approach.
While there is no specific timeline provided for the return of the repaired Trump statue to the gallery, Clay Stewart mentioned that it will coincide with the display of a statue of President Joe Biden, currently in production.
Despite leaving office with an approval rating in the low-40s, which was typical during his presidency, Trump still maintains substantial support among Republicans. In a post-impeachment trial poll, 54 percent of GOP voters expressed their intention to vote for Trump if he ran in 2024, while 59 percent expressed a desire for him to continue playing a significant role within the party.
