Puyallup High School Removes Controversial Anti-Trump Art Project

The school district says the student artwork depicting the former president in a demeaning manner has been taken down.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 8:04pm

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The Puyallup School District in Washington state has removed a controversial student art project from a high school classroom that depicted former President Donald Trump as a pig, a KKK member, and a clown with references to assassination. The district said the artwork was found to be offensive by some members of the community and has been taken down, though it acknowledged student expression on political topics is an important part of learning.

Why it matters

The incident has raised concerns about how schools should handle political expression and controversial subject matter in student art projects. It also comes amid other recent controversies involving the Puyallup School District that have damaged public trust.

The details

The art project was displayed in a classroom at Puyallup High School and included multiple images portraying former President Trump in a derogatory manner. After receiving complaints from community members, the school district said the artwork has been removed, stating it understands some found the content offensive and that the district takes those concerns seriously.

  • The art project was displayed in a Puyallup High School classroom in March 2026.

The players

Puyallup School District

The school district that oversees Puyallup High School and made the decision to remove the controversial student art project.

Senator Chris Gildon

A Republican state senator representing the Puyallup area who criticized the art project as being outside of community standards and said schools should teach students how to disagree on politics without dehumanizing others.

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What they’re saying

“We are aware of concerns regarding student artwork displayed in a high school art classroom that included imagery that depicted the President in a demeaning manner. We understand that some members of our community found the artwork offensive, and we take those concerns seriously. The artwork in question has been removed.”

— Puyallup School District, Communications Department

“Was this given with a leaning towards eliciting that type of artwork, or was it given in a neutral manner and the instructor chose to display the most controversial pieces of it, which I thought was very controversial.”

— Senator Chris Gildon

“I think that's outside community standards. Whether it's President Trump, President Biden or Obama, I think we should be teaching students how to disagree and talk about politics without dehumanizing other people.”

— Senator Chris Gildon

What’s next

The Puyallup School District and school board are expected to issue statements or policies to address the controversy and restore public trust in the district.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the challenges schools face in balancing student expression on political topics with maintaining a respectful learning environment. It also underscores the need for clear policies and guidance on how to handle controversial subject matter in student art projects.