White House officials reportedly attempted to cover a mural depicting raised fists of various skin colors on the exterior of the Five Flags Civic Center in Dubuque, Iowa, before a midterm rally featuring President Donald Trump on Sunday. The venue's general manager, Scott Hallgren, told Dubuque’s ABC affiliate KCRG that the Office of Presidential Advance decided to cover the city’s “Solidarity” mural with tarp, stating the intention was to add "exterior branding" and a U.S. flag.
Hallgren indicated that neither the venue nor the operating company approved the covering and that they "value and respect what this mural means to our community and to the citizens of Dubuque." Photos shared by the City of Dubuque showed an American flag was already present on the building and was not concealed by the tarp.
The City of Dubuque later confirmed that the tarp had been removed and that the city did not approve the attempt to cover the artwork. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The "Solidarity" mural, created by local artist Shelby Fry in 2020 and painted by 75 community volunteers, features the letters in the word “SOLIDARITY” on raised fists. According to the city's website, the artwork represents Dubuque’s commitment to building a welcoming community. The mural also incorporates elements acknowledging cognitive and physical disabilities, diverse college programs, and the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
During the rally, Trump spoke about his administration's efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, and to remove critical race theory and discussions of gender identity from schools. Social media users and some political figures have praised city officials for standing against the White House's attempt to cover the mural.