Somebody Swiped Bronze Statue of Melania Trump

A second tribute to Melania Trump near her hometown in Slovenia is gone, much like the first. Police are investigating the theft of a lifesize bronze statue depicting the first lady, reports the AP. And it took some doing: The thief or thieves had to chop it off at the ankles. American conceptual artist Brad Downey made the piece, which had been placed in a private field in 2020, and he tells AFP that he's a "bit sad that it's gone." He described his work—it doesn't outwardly resemble the first lady—as "anti-monument, anti-propaganda."

"My feeling is that it has something to do with the new election, but who knows, right?" says the artist. Downey's sculpture went up after a wooden carving of Melania—created by a local chainsaw artist—was destroyed by arson. Police learned about the theft on Tuesday, and no arrests have been made. The first lady was born in Sevnica in 1970 as Melanija Knavs. Locals still hold out hope that President Trump will become the first American president to visit Slovenia. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)