Melania Trump can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to statues in her hometown.
A bronze likeness of the First Lady vanished from her native Slovenia, leaving investigators puzzled and her American artist upset.
And the timing of this bizarre theft has many wondering if it was just another attempt to disrespect the Trump family.
Statue cut off at the feet in the middle of the night
Police in Slovenia are investigating after a bronze statue of First Lady Melania Trump was stolen from her hometown of Sevnica.
According to local media outlet Agence France-Presse, the towering bronze sculpture was anchored to a tree stump in a field near Melania’s hometown when it suddenly vanished on Tuesday.
Law enforcement revealed that the statue had been deliberately cut off at the feet.
“The theft was reported on 13 May and immediately police officers visited the crime scene and launched an investigation,” a police spokesperson told reporters Thursday.
The thief – or thieves – left nothing but the statue’s base behind, taking the entire bronze sculpture with them.
This isn’t the first time Melania’s statues were targeted
The stolen bronze statue had actually been created as a replacement after vandals destroyed the original wooden Melania statue in 2020.
Brad Downey, the American conceptual artist behind both sculptures, had commissioned the first wooden likeness in 2019. It was a simple blue-dressed figure carved from a tree trunk by local artist Ales Zupevc.
But on July 4, 2020 – notably America’s Independence Day – arsonists set fire to the wooden statue, leaving it blackened and disfigured on its pedestal.
“It didn’t feel right,” Downey said about the burning of the original statue, which prompted him to replace it with a more durable bronze version.
Downey described his work as an “anti-monument, anti-propaganda” piece meant to highlight Melania’s status as an immigrant who became First Lady of the United States.
Artist suspects political motivation behind theft
Downey expressed sadness over the disappearance of his artwork but had his own theory about why it was taken.
“My feeling is that it has something to do with the new election [of Donald Trump], but who knows, right?” the artist told reporters.
The timing does appear suspicious, coming just months after Donald Trump’s return to the White House for his second term. The theft might represent yet another attack on the Trump family, who have faced unprecedented hostility both in and out of office.
Melania’s hometown still celebrates her success
Despite the statue’s disappearance, Melania Trump remains a source of pride for many in Sevnica, the small town where she grew up when Slovenia was still part of Communist Yugoslavia.
Born in Novo Mesto in 1970, Melania spent her formative years in Sevnica, about 60 miles east of Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. Her journey from this small European town to the White House represents a remarkable American success story.
Local businesses in Sevnica have embraced their connection to the First Lady, creating numerous products, including cakes and chocolates named in her honor.
The town has become something of a tourist attraction for those interested in Melania’s background, though the statue had been one of the main points of interest for visitors.
Bronze statues worth thousands in materials alone
While authorities haven’t commented on possible motives, bronze statues are sometimes stolen for their material value. Bronze, an alloy primarily made of copper, can be worth significant money when melted down and sold as scrap metal.
However, the specific targeting of Melania Trump’s likeness, combined with the history of vandalism against her previous statue, suggests this might be more than a simple metal theft.
The investigation continues as Slovenian police search for both the culprits and the missing statue.
