A large inflatable "Felon Don" will be on display on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., through Saturday, with the artist telling Newsweek he is just doing his "public service."
"The message is now recently with the Supreme Court making its decision on official acts and immunity and President Trump making statements," Taran Brar told Newsweek. "It really has me concerned."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's transition team via email on Friday for comment.
Why It Matters
After his election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in November, there is huge public interest in President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration on Monday. Last month, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) announced the theme of the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies: "Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise." It has been moved indoors to the Capitol rotunda because of weather conditions.
Trump's second term in office comes off of the heels of multiple convictions in court. He was convicted on 34 felony counts in May 2024 for falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. That made him the first former president with a felony record.
On August 1, 2023, in a separate case with the federal court, a grand jury indicted Trump on four charges for conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstructing with official proceedings and conspiracy against rights around his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that he lost to President Joe Biden.
What To Know
Brar previously placed a 60-foot inflatable chicken to mock the former 45th president right outside of the White House. The "Chicken Don" inflatable was a large white chicken with golden feet and hair. The chicken's hands are out on its sides pointing, similar to Trump's stances during speeches.
In 2017, the chicken was meant to embody how Trump was not releasing his tax returns and how many thought he was afraid to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A chicken balloon clad in a prison uniform set sail from San Francisco Bay a year later on a boat labeled "Alcatraz Prison Transport."
Today, there's a "freshly made chicken" for Brar's visual protest.
"[Felon Don is] similar to the chicken motif," Brar told Newsweek. "It's surrounded by jail bars. It's kind of a commentary on the Supreme Court saying the president has immunity to do things that may be crimes internationally. Even if he escaped prison here, he may be in trouble internationally."
In a landmark decision last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidential immunity from criminal prosecution extends to all of the president's official acts, including the pardon, execution of laws and use of the military. The court did not rule on the scope of immunity for some of the acts alleged against Trump.
The Supreme Court case stemmed from the federal criminal case Trump faced around his attempts to allegedly overturn the 2020 presidential election and his potential involvement with the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump pleaded not guilty. The Department of Justice opened an investigation in January 2022, and Jack Smith was appointed as special counsel. The D.C. Circuit Court ruled on February 2, 2024, that Trump was not immune from prosecution.
"We all grew up here being educated in a democracy with free speech," said Brar, the filmmaker behind The Marriage of a Scientist. "We want that to survive. We want everyone to be free to express themselves."
What Happens Next
"Felon Don' was in the process of inflating when the Secret Service told Brar that the area had to be cleared for "presidential movements and motorcades."
The inflatable will be on display from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. A live stream can be seen on YouTube and on Instagram.
English (US) ·