Utah Pride Event Displays Severed Trump Head Art, Children Hit Senator Piñata

Clear Facts

• A painting depicting President Trump’s severed head on a platter was displayed for sale at a Pride event in Provo, Utah, hosted by the Cougar Pride Center
• Children were invited to hit a piñata resembling Senator Mike Lee at the same April 11 event held at Provo Memorial Park
• The event occurred less than 15 minutes from where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated, raising concerns about desensitization to political violence

An LGBTQ+ organization calling itself a “resource center for Brigham Young University students” hosted an event featuring disturbing imagery that critics say normalizes violence against conservative leaders. The April 11 “Pride in Progress” event at Provo Memorial Park displayed artwork depicting President Donald Trump’s decapitated head and invited children to strike a piñata fashioned to resemble Utah Senator Mike Lee.

Kai Schwemmer, a BYU student and College Republicans of America official, first brought attention to the items in an April 14 post on X.

“A painting of Donald Trump’s severed head on a platter was found for sale alongside decorative Molotov cocktails at a Pride event in Provo hosted by the Cougar Pride Center, which describes itself as an ‘LGBTQ resource for BYU students,'” Schwemmer wrote.

The disturbing display takes on additional significance given its proximity to recent violence. Schwemmer noted the event was held “less than 15 minutes from where Charlie Kirk was killed,” adding that “items like the ones sold here are an upsetting sign that little has changed since, and that desensitization to violence has only increased.”

The Cougar Pride Center, which operates independently from BYU, describes itself on its website as planning “large-scale events — including Pride in April and our Drag Pageant in October.” The organization says it works “for progress at BYU and in the community at large.”

Local outlet KUTV reported that outrage grew online after images and video from the event showed “a piñata resembling U.S. Sen. Mike Lee being batted by children, a painting of President Donald Trump’s severed head on a platter, and decorative Molotov cocktails for sale.”

Brigham Young University quickly moved to distance itself from the event.

“This is not a BYU group, not a BYU-sponsored event, and did not happen on BYU campus,” the university posted on X on April 15.

A BYU spokesperson further clarified to Fox News Digital: “The group that you referenced is not affiliated with Brigham Young University. The event did not take place on BYU campus, nor was it sponsored by the university in any way.”

The Cougar Pride Center told Fox News Digital: “We are not associated with this artist and do not condone violence of any kind.”

The artist behind the severed head painting, Sav Kubensis, titled the work “Liberation with the Head of Hegemony.” Kubensis defended the artwork as First Amendment-protected expression when speaking to KUTV.

“While my art may not be politically correct, it isn’t a call to action or a threat — it is an expression of my 1st Amendment Right,” Kubensis said.

“Not unlike Mike Lee’s social media posts mocking the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker last year.”

Kubensis also stated: “My work is highly symbolic and may not appeal to everyone, but my LDS grandma doesn’t have anything bad to say about it.”

In an Instagram post about the painting, which depicts Trump’s eyes as gouged out, Kubensis wrote: “Historically, removing someone’s eyes has served as a brutal form of political punishment or revenge. Used to incapacitate rulers and punish traitors, blinding was a standard practice in the Middle Ages to prevent a man from leading armies.”

Senator Lee responded to the incident by reposting photos and videos from the event on X, asking: “How does @BYU feel about this?”

The White House did not mince words in its response to the incident.

“These sick freaks need to seriously get their heads examined and seek psychiatric help to treat their severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a White House spokesperson said.

The incident raises serious questions about the normalization of political violence in America, particularly in the wake of actual assassinations and assassination attempts against conservative figures. The decision to market such imagery at an event where children were present has drawn widespread condemnation from those who view it as crossing a dangerous line from political expression to incitement.

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