Naked Trump statues pop up in cities across US

NEW YORK — It’s Donald Trump like you’ve never seen him before.

Life-size naked statues of the Republican presidential nominee greeted passers-by in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Cleveland on Thursday. They are the brainchild of an activist collective called INDECLINE, which has spoken out against Trump before.

In a statement, the collective said the hope is that Trump, the former host of “The Apprentice” reality TV series, “is never installed in the most powerful political and military position in the world.”

The statues were created by an artist in Cleveland. They are of a stern-faced Trump with his hands folded over a bulging belly. Some parts of male genitalia are visible while others seemingly are missing.

“It is through these sculptures that we leave behind the physical and metaphorical embodiment of the ghastly soul of one of America’s most infamous and reviled politicians,” INDECLINE said in its statement.

In New York, the Trump statue unveiled in Union Square came with an engraved plaque saying “The Emperor Has No Balls,” witnesses said.

But New York’s department of parks and recreation was unimpressed. Wardens ripped the statue from its base before using shovels to smash its feet and foam base to smithereens, and pry its metal platform from the ground.

“NYC Parks stands firmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks, no matter how small,” a spokesperson told AFP in an email.

INDECLINE said statues on the West Coast were still in place.

Workers just removed the nude Donald Trump statue in Union Square: https://t.co/zcgyNrcn9h pic.twitter.com/LSFmBl69Ez

— DNAinfo New York (@DNAinfoNY) August 18, 2016

Trump’s campaign declined to comment on the statues.

Throughout the morning, passers-by stopped to take photographs, pose for selfies and laugh at the depiction of the New York billionaire.

“It was funny. Everybody was just over here laughing and taking pictures,” said Rahshawn Gilmore, 22, who works in a nearby store. “It was amazing.”

Although Gilmore said he did not find the statue offensive, he admitted some might because children were “roaming around.”

“You could see his personal bits,” he explained.

“That was great craftsmanship, because they’re having a hard time taking that apart,” he added, breaking into giggles.

Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio, when asked about the naked Trump statue, said, “That is a frightening thought. When he’s wearing clothes I don’t like him.”

Peri Fisher, 48, a representative for an electronics company, said she was pleased to see a male politician being judged on his appearance “for a change,” criticizing the decision to destroy the statue.

“Personally, I think Trump is insane and not fit to be president, not that (Democratic rival) Hillary Clinton really is either, but she’s the lesser of two evils,” she said.

“Right or wrong, people have the right to put it up there,” she added. “He’s a public figure — public figures are open to mockery. This was a mockery. It’s just part of the American way of life.”