Melania Trump's Wooden Statue Replaced With Bronze 2 Months After It Was Set On Fire

A new monumnent of Melania Trump was unveiled in Slovenia after her wooden statue was set on fire in July this year. The new version is made of bronze.

The bronze statue of the First Lady was unveiled Tuesday in her homeland to replace the original wooden version that was set aflame on the Fourth of July by an arsonist, leaving its face damaged. The new sculpture is a replica of the original one commissioned by U.S. artist Brad Downey, USA Today reported.

"Dedicated to the eternal memory of a monument to Melania which stood at this location," a plaque next to the new statue read.

"We are here today because we put up again a statue of Melania to the place where it was burnt and to commemorate the statue that was set on fire," said Slovenian artist Marko Vivoda.

Downey said in an interview after the unveiling of the new statue that he wants a permanent monument for Melania.

"With the Black Lives Matter protests, there’s been a tendency to rip down monuments, so I wanted to install a permanent one," Downey said in a telephone interview with The New York Times on Wednesday.

Downey doesn't support President Donald Trump and his anti-immigrant policies. However, the artist noted that Melania's origins contradict her husband's views.

"We’ve got a president who is against immigration, but his wife is an example of successful immigration," he added.

At least one local resident seemed to share Downley's perspective about the POTUS and FLOTUS. David C Henley wrote an op-ed for Nevada Appeal about Melania's statue in December last y ear and spoke with a local resident who criticized Trump but praised Melania as a mom.

“Donald Trump is a disaster. He is disgusting and he is a fascist. Melania is a good wife and mother, but she’s not come home to Slovenia since her husband became your president nearly three years ago. And she’s done really nothing to publicize our country and help us get more tourists,” the resident said before adding, “And the statue is awful.”

Melania’s statue was mocked because it didn’t look like her. It received mixed responses from tourists, with some saying it was “beautiful” and “just wonderful,” while others called it “ugly,” “a joke,” and “laughable.” The wooden life-size statue was carved by a local sculptor named Ales Zupevc and it depicted the FLOTUS in a blue coat similar to the one she wore during Trump's presidential inauguration.