The artist Bordalo II has once again made his mark in the United States. On Sunday, the Portuguese artist unveiled the piece ‘Liberty Under Deconstruction,’ placed in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Images shared on social media depict the commemorative sculpture of the country’s independence, democratic perseverance, and liberation of slaves accompanied by a sign reading that the area is “under deconstruction.”
The artwork appears to criticize threats to freedom of expression posed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Notably, between 40 to 50 journalists submitted their access cards and left the United States Department of Defense in protest against restrictions imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on October 15.
The new regulations meant the expulsion of journalists trying to report information, confidential or otherwise, that had not been approved by the official. The Pentagon also introduced the concept that credentialed journalists cannot request or publish information without explicit authorization from the Department of Defense.
Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg, decreed that senior military officials can only communicate with Congress with prior approval issued by the Legislative Affairs office.
Academic freedom has also been targeted by Trump, who proposed cutting funding to the National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest supporter of biomedical research, and sought to dismantle the Department of Education, aiming to reduce the federal government’s role in that sector.
Trump also stated he would prioritize granting subsidies to programs focused on “patriotic education” and demanded that colleges restrict international student admissions to 15% for undergraduate programs. In addition, he threatened to withhold federal funds in response to pro-Gaza protests at various U.S. universities and has challenged the policies of diversity and inclusion in educational institutions.
This new piece follows an incident on October 23 when Bordalo II placed a sign on a van in front of the White House that read ‘Governmental Advisory. Explicit Content.’ In this case, the criticism seemed directed at Donald Trump’s reluctance to release the ‘Epstein Files,’ a series of official documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the American millionaire convicted of sex crimes and child trafficking, who was found dead in prison in 2019.
A sexually suggestive letter addressed to Jeffrey Epstein, allegedly signed by the current U.S. President, Donald Trump, was revealed on Monday. But what did the letter actually say?
Daniela Filipe | 14:59 – 09/09/2025
