Is Trump the first president to have Rapid City statue installed while in office?

President Donald Trump is the first president to have his City of Presidents statue in Rapid City placed while he is in office. 

Trump’s statue, the 44th statue of a president in downtown Rapid City, was commissioned in 2021 after Trump’s first term ended and completed before his re-election in 2024.

City leaders waited until after the election to determine when the statue would be installed. Ultimately, they decided it wouldn’t be fair to donors or the artist to wait.

Trump’s statue, which was made by artist Jim Maher, features the president wearing a red tie and speaking at a lectern with his right hand gesturing. A phone placed on the lectern prominently displays a Twitter logo.

President Grover Cleveland, who also served non-consecutive terms, has just one statue on the City of Presidents, which started honoring former chief executives in 2000. Former President Joe Biden’s statue is in progress.