A wax figure of US President Donald Trump was removed from a museum in San Antonio, Texas in 2021. The Louis Tussaud's Waxworks Museum decided to move the display to storage after visitors repeatedly damaged the effigy by punching and scratching it.
'It's a presidential figure,' said Ripley Entertainment spokesperson Suzanne Smagala-Potts. Ripley Entertainment serves as the parent company of the museum. 'Sometimes people will take a swipe at them, but they did that with Obama, Bush, and they've done it with celebrity figures as well. It's just something that happens.'
Political Figures Normally Receive a Lot of Wear and Tear
Clay Stewart, the museum's regional manager, stated at the time that Trump effigy had very visible damage. In particular, visitors left deep scratches on the face of Trump's wax likeness. This necessitated its removal from the public gallery.
Stewart noted that attacks on statues of political figures tend to be a problem whenever those are put on display. However, Smagala-Potts said that the statues regularly need to undergo repairs for the usual wear and tear.
'Political figures can be a little bit more polarising, depending on which side of the political spectrum you lead,' said Smagala-Potts. 'And that's totally fine. We're not a political business. We don't have a bias.'
She noted that the museum allows visitors to interact with the figures as they see fit. 'And we say, you know, you can take your picture however you'd like,' Smagala-Potts continued. 'Some people like to take their picture with a thumbs up, some people like to take a picture with a thumbs down.'
The museum confirmed that Trump's statue would be repaired and reinstalled at the gallery alongside a statue of President Joe Biden.
Trump Pardons Texas Democratic Lawmaker
In a separate development highlighting the President's use of executive power, on Wednesday, Trump announced that he is issuing a pardon to Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of weaponising the Justice Department against his opponents.
Cuellar and his wife were charged in 2024 for accepting $600,000 (estimated £449,775) in bribes from foreign entities.
'Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman's wonderful wife, Imelda, for simply speaking the TRUTH,' said Trump. 'It is unAmerican and, as I previously stated, the Radical Left Democrats are a complete and total threat to Democracy.'
The Pardon's Political Context
Despite the criminal charge against Cuellar and his wife, the moderate Democrat from Texas, was re-elected to his seat during the November elections. This pardon came after Republicans tried to remove him from his seat, a move that resulted in an election.
On the same day of his pardon, Cuellar assured his fellow Democrats that he does not plan on switching parties. He also thanked Trump on social media for the pardon. Cuellar has long denied any wrongdoing in a statement following the indictment.
'I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts,' Cuellar said in a post on X. 'This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas.'
I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts. I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time. This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas.
— Rep. Henry Cuellar (@RepCuellar) December 3, 2025
This pardon gives us a… pic.twitter.com/ajNvHq6rG0
Trump accused the Biden administration of targeting Cuellar, despite being under the same party, for his stance on immigration. Cuellar was critical of Biden's immigration policies, saying that the Democratic leader was influenced by the far left's stance on the matter.
