Visit Rapid City proudly hosted the official unveiling of a new bronze statue of the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, as part of the renowned “City of Presidents” sculpture project in downtown Rapid City on Saturday, May 3.
The event was marked by a special proclamation from Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun, officially declaring May 3 as “City of Presidents Day” in honor of the project and its significance.
“The cool thing about the statues of the presidents is it really tells a story of America,” said Mayor Salamun. “Each one highlights a different era of our country. As you see all that kind of come through, you can really get a feel of the story of us.”
In his remarks, the mayor also shared his admiration for several presidents, including Donald Trump. He praised Trump’s message of “go big, go for greatness,” calling it personally inspiring.
The statue, sculpted by South Dakota artist Jim Maher, features Trump standing at a podium, with a phone laying on the podium which includes the Twitter logo. According to Maher, that detail was intentional.
“That was my idea,” Maher said. “It was such a big part of his deal. It’s kind of fun to hide little stuff like that around.”
The statue also includes fine details like Trump’s famously engineered hairstyle and his characteristic facial expression. “The hair was a big challenge,” Maher admitted. “Parts going one way, then the other, overlapping or tucked under. It’s an engineering marvel.”
The creation process took about six to seven months of sculpting in clay, followed by four to five months at a foundry for casting the bronze. Maher described the complex multi-step process, which involved making molds, casting wax patterns, dipping in ceramic, and finally pouring the bronze. A team of about a dozen people worked on the statue at different stages.
This is the 12th presidential statue Maher has contributed to the downtown project. When asked which is his favorite, he mentioned James Buchanan, not necessarily for his presidency, but for his unique character and how it’s reflected in the sculpture.
Maher, who is a rancher, lives in Spearfish and grew up in Rapid City, is currently working on several upcoming sculptures, including one of Fei Li Wong, set to be unveiled in Deadwood on June 26.
When asked if sculpting was a hobby, Maher responded with a laugh, “No, it’s how I make a living.” Amy Rose then joked, “So is ranching your hobby?” which drew a good laugh from both.
For Maher, sculpting is more than just art, it’s his livelihood. “There are a lot of things I like to do. Life is short, so you’ve got to try different stuff.”
The addition of President Trump’s statue was made possible through the generous support of the Bradsky family and the Patton family, whose contributions helped continue the tradition of honoring U.S. presidents in downtown Rapid City.
The Trump statue will be at the corner of St Joseph Street and 6th Street, among the other presidential figures that line the streets of downtown Rapid City, continuing the city’s mission to honor each commander in chief with a permanent bronze tribute.
