Controversial Naked Trump Statue Removed From Castro District
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A San Francisco Department of Public Works work crew removed a life-sized statue of a naked Donald Trump from San Francisco's Castro District overnight, but the fate of the controversial work of art remains in limbo.
If the owner of San Francisco's famed Lefty O'Doul's restaurant has his way, the statue will soon be taking up residence in his establishment.
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"Ideally I would love for it to remain a while longer, because it's so fitting that in the Castro the world can see Donald Trump for the ridiculous shyster fraud that he is," said San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener said in an interview with KPIX 5.
Lee Houskeeper, who is negotiating on behalf of the restaurant, said the city may have to keep the statue "in custody" until after the general election in November.
"I have been told they have to hold it and it could be as long as 90 days," Houskeeper said.
The statue was installed Thursday morning at the corner of Castro and Market streets, just outside Jane Warner Plaza.
Supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents the Castro neighborhood, said the statue represents what a shyster and fraud Donald Trump is.
"This was a wonderful exercise of First Amendment rights," Wiener said.
Crowds throughout the day on Thursday were amused and laughed at the statue, but Wiener said there's more to it than meets the eye.
"There is a really serious undertone here," he said. "Donald Trump has perpetuated a huge fraud on this country."
An American activist collective called Indecline took responsibility for the statue, which is similar to others that went up today in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York and Cleveland.
Indecline released a statement saying the project started in April and was completed Aug. 10 in an undisclosed location on the West Coast by a Cleveland artist and sculptor known as Ginger. Ginger works exclusively in the horror genre. Indecline chose Ginger to create a realistic and grotesque image.
Indecline's statement said that the collective watched in awe as Trump made his way miraculously to the Republican nomination and they decided to speak up. The group's aim is to say they don't want to see Trump elected as president of the U.S.
Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District executive director Andrea Aiello said, "Everybody thinks it's hysterical."
Someone put a red hat on the statue, Aiello said.
"There's no negativity," she said. "It's all people laughing."
Ginger used a combined 700 pounds of two types of clay, 400 pounds of concrete and rebar, two gallons of foam in each statue and a gallon of resin.
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