It seems amazing that the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump was less than a month ago. While that event shook the American political landscape and is still echoes today, a local Butler, Pennsylvania, artist has taken it upon himself to commemorate the moment – and I have to say, he nailed it.
Local artist Bill Secunda not only describes Donald Trump as “tough as nails” after the former president shook off an assassination attempt here, he created a life-size sculpture to hammer the idiom home.
Secunda was so inspired by Trump’s actions, in which he raised his fist defiantly and exhorted rallygoers to “Fight, fight, fight” moments after being grazed by an assassin’s bullet, that he built a unique likeness of the former president out of nails. Secunda unveiled the statue at the Butler Farm Show on Saturday, the same venue where the deadly shooting took place on July 13.
“I tried to give him the expression of ‘Let’s fight,’ but let’s do it nonviolent[ly]. Let’s do it right,” Secunda told Fox News Digital at his garage studio.
Life-sized sculpture of ‘fighting’ Trump made from nails unveiled at assassination attempt site https://t.co/k3Z0dZ1lXe
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 11, 2024
It’s an interesting presentation. The statue was constructed, it seems, in 2020, and originally depicted the former president ripping open his suit coat and shirt, Superman-style, to reveal a gold “T” beneath, but after the assassination attempt, Secunda reworked it to its current form to commemorate the event.
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The technique is, in a word, unique.
The 6-foot 3-inch high sculpture is made entirely from traditional flat-headed cut nails which Secunda says are typically driven into concrete. It’s a technique Secunda often uses in his artwork.
“I build an armature first and then I start welding each nail, a lot of them need heating up and [are] bent into place,” Secunda said of his nail-based structures, many of which pepper his expansive garden, including a life-size moose. He’s made plenty of other life-size animals during his 30-year career, including a bear, a bison and a lion, while other installations include a giant tin man made out of wood that features imposingly on his property.
“The hair was a lot of fun,” Secunda says of Trump’s iconic hairdo in his piece. “I did a lot of research on his ears and a lot of research on his hair. Once I got it formed right, I used a brazing rod and welded it on there to give it the yellow [finish].”
The caption at the base of the sculpture reads: “Tough as Nails.” The statue was recently on display at the Butler Farm Show, although as of this writing, it is unclear where its ultimate destination will be. In the meantime, Bill Secunda is hoping that former President Trump will return to Butler, so he can see the statue.
Interesting, the way a major event like this can lead to something creative. Bill Secunda found a productive way to commemorate the attempt on the life of a former President and fellow citizen. It’s just too bad that the would-be assassin didn’t have some similar, creative rather than destructive, outlet for his passions.
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