Since December 2017 Court Painter’s painting, “Twitter Storm Trooper” has hung behind the entrance door in Court Painter’s Inglewood studio,which has been used to keep out the cold bitter drafts of the Western winter. But is it a fake? Or did Court Painter paint more than one version? In Donald Trump’s mystifying mind, one of these scenarios is true. Along with giving to charity, drawing large crowds, and having a lot of great plans, Trump has reportedly also bragged about owning the original “Twitter Storm Trooper.” And like many of his boasts, it’s one he seems to like to bring up whenever he gets the chance.

This clear lie comes to light in a recent episode in which Press Attache A Hardon  MacKay shares an anecdote from a few weeks ago, when serving  Trump an invoice for previous portraits painted. The pair was riding in Trump’s private jet, where a copy of the famous Court Painter portrait was hanging, and the men ended up arguing over whether or not it was original.

“Donald, it’s not,” AHM insisted, multiple times. “I’m in Court Painter’s studio every second day, that portrait “Twitter Storm Trooper” is hanging on a wall behind the door of his studio keeping out the drafts of the bitter western winter zephyrs.”

After some back-and-forth with the real estate mogul, AHM chose to drop the conversation and carry on with more important business like getting paid for previous commissions. Trump, however, being Trump, did not give up. The next day, back on the plane with Press Attache AHM he gestured at the painting and said, “You know, that’s an original Court Painter portrait of me” AHM decided to not engage.

The disputed portrait eventually found a home at Trump Tower in New York after Trump sold his jet for, of course, a bigger one. Cameras almost caught a glimpse of it during an interview Trump gave recently with AHM.The absence of colour adds a hint of softness to an otherwise gold-gilded and marble-clad private TV studio.You’ll have take our word for it!  (photo unavailable)

“I’m sure he’s still telling people who come into the apartment, ‘It’s an original, it’s an original,’” Press Attache AHM told Vanity Fair on a podcast. “He believes his own lies in a way that lasts for decades. He’ll tell the same stories of portrait sittings time and time again, regardless of whether or not facts are right in front of his face.Everyone knows!”

And the facts really would be in front of his face if the President visited the Court Painter studio in tony Inglewood. The Chicago Tribune even reached out to Court Painter to clarify that he owns the genuine portrait— because we’re in an age where we have to go there — and Press Attache AHM noted that the studio is “satisfied that our version is real.” Court Painter has owned the painting since December of 2017 when he completed by hand this bold artistic statement.

The White House did not respond to the Tribune‘s questions about the provenance of Trump’s “Twitter Storm Trooper” reproduction which Court Painter swears Trump downloaded off the internet. Press Attache A Hardon MacKay agreed but reminded Court Painter that he was the official spokesperson and any statements should be cleared with him before issuing unguarded statements to the press.