Melania Trump Statue Near Her Slovenian Hometown Removed After Being Badly Burned

A life-size wooden sculpture of US first lady Melania Trump was removed from Rožno, Slovenia, near the first lady’s hometown on July 5, after it was set on fire and badly burned on America’s Independence Day.

The artist who commissioned the statue, Bradley Downey, recorded this video and posted it to Instagram. The Berlin-based artist told Reuters he had the statue removed as soon as he heard it had been burned and disfigured.

Downey said he hoped the statue would provide a platform for dialogue about the political situation in the United States. Downey told Reuters he wants to know why the statue was burned and he hopes, if the vandals are found, to interview them for a film he is creating for an upcoming exhibition.

Slovenian police told Reuters they were launching an investigation regarding the incident.

A wooden Donald Trump statue in nearby Moravce by Tomaz Schlegl was burned to the ground in January. Credit: Bradley Downey via Storyful