WASHINGTON — It’s been two weeks since a mysterious satirical poop monument appeared by the U.S. Capitol, “honoring” former President Donald Trump and the people behind the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection with a massive turd.
Early Monday morning ― one day before the presidential election ― the anonymous group behind the installation made some new additions: free souvenirs, in the form of mini-poop statues and postcards.
Stacks of them were left out on a table for passersby to take. All of them mockingly hail Trump and his violent mob of supporters for trying to steal the 2020 election.
“We figured that a monument isn’t a real monument until cheap souvenirs are involved,” reads an anonymous message HuffPost received from one of the organizers. “That’s why just like the ‘heroes’ who invaded the capitol and landed some sweet laptops, iPads and a John Lewis photo, we wanted people to have something to take home with them.”
A group called Civic Crafted LLC got a permit from the National Park Service to put up the monument. It’s not clear, though, who is behind this group.
D.C.’s turd installation was the first of these “monuments” that have been popping up around the country in recent days, all of which use satire to condemn Trump for various egregious and contemptible things he’s done.
One statue appeared in a park public in Philadelphia last week to “honor” Trump for a “lifetime of sexual assault.” A similar monument popped up in Portland, Oregon. A second statue appeared last week in D.C., this time a tiki torch monument offering a “tribute” to Trump for referring to his supporters who marched in a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, as “very fine people.”
These monuments look authentic and are quite big, though up close, you can see they’re actually pretty light and made of foam or cloth. It’s not until you read the plaques on the structures that it’s clear they’re mocking Trump.
The poop monument features a replica of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk with a bronze turd on it, along with some papers and a Pelosi name plate. It is a reference to some of Trump’s supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, reportedly spreading their feces throughout hallways and offices in the building.
The new souvenirs from this monument are just brown pieces of fake poop on a base with a plaque that reads, “Trump National Jan. 6 Memorial.”
The mini statues were gone by the time HuffPost stopped by early Monday. But there was still a stack of free postcards on a tiny table available for the taking. They feature an image of Trump’s smiling face next to the U.S. Capitol with the turd monument centered in the picture. In bold postcard-like font, it reads, “Trump National Jan. 6th Monument.”
A security guard posted by the installation said the mini-statues were gone in “no time.” More were expected to be delivered later in the day.
HuffPost arrived at the monument as the leader of a group of high school students from around the country was explaining to them that it was satirical. They appeared amused as she read aloud the plaque.
“Satirical, when they say ‘honors’ the brave men and women,” said one male student.
“Who broke into the United States Capitol to loot, urinate and defecate throughout those hallowed halls,” continued the group leader.
“To honor them,” the student said with a laugh.
Jennifer, a D.C. local, and her friend Wybie stopped to inspect and take pictures of the monument. Both requested only using their first names.
“I think it’s perfect,” said Wybie, 17, of Philadelphia. “I think it’s funny enough to connect many people, but also funny enough to anger some people.”
Your Support Has Never Been More Critical
Support HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
Jennifer, who works for the federal Bureau of Prisons, agreed the monument is funny but said it is also “incredibly sad” because it’s a reminder that people still have to say that the violent attack on the Capitol carried out by Trump supporters ― which was aimed at preventing Joe Biden from being certified as the president ― was a bad thing.
“It was literally a shit show, because people shat in there,” she fumed. “This whole, like, ‘We’re 1776 patriots.’ Do you really think George Washington was going places and taking a dump and smearing it, as the constitutional army rolled through?”