Sunday, June 14, 2026
Vol. VIII
Est. 2019

The Mind Shield

News · Opinion · Politics · Analysis

Melania Trump bronze statue chopped off at ankles and stolen in Slovenia.

Melania Trump bronze statue chopped off at ankles and stolen in Slovenia.
(FILES) A bronze replica depicting US First Lady Melania Trump, made by US artist Brad Downey, is seen after its unveiling in a field near US First Lady's hometown Sevnica, on September 15, 2020. Slovenian police are investigating the disappearance of a bronze statue of US First Lady Melania Trump, which was stolen near her Slovenian hometown, they said on May 15, 2025. The life-sized statue of her by American conceptual artist Brad Downey was unveiled near her hometown of Sevnica in 2020, towering on a tree stump over a field, after a previous statue, made of wood, was burnt down by unknown arsonists. But now it has disappeared -- cut above the ankles -- according to the artist and police. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION

A bronze statue of Melania Trump has gone missing in her homeland of Slovenia.

Police are investigating the disappearance of the life size bronze statue of Melania which was erected in a private field in her hometown of Sevnica.

Authorities say the statue was chopped off at the ankles. Police spokeswoman Alenka Drenik Rangus told The Associated Press Friday that they have no suspects.

The bronze statue replaced the original wooden one which was unveiled in 2020. That state was carved from the trunk of a linden tree and showed Melania in a pale blue dress like the one she wore at Trump’s inauguration in 2017.

The wooden state was set on fire on July 4th, months after it was erected.

Both statues were created by American artist Brad Downey in collaboration with local woodworker Aleš Župevc.

Downey denied any involvement in the 2020 fire and said at the time the new one had to be “as solid as possible, out of a durable material which cannot be wantonly destroyed.”

Downey confirmed to AFP that his new indestructible bronze statue was destroyed calling it  “a bit sad that it’s gone.”

“My feeling is that it has something to do with the new election [of Donald Trump], but who knows, right?” he added.