White House Covers Dubuque Mural Before Trump Visit
The White House Advance Team covered a 2020 'Solidarity' mural on the Five Flags Center ahead of President Trump's Sunday visit to Dubuque, Iowa.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Unions
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The White House Advance Team covered the 'Solidarity' mural on the eastern facade of the Five Flags Center in Dubuque, Iowa, ahead of President Donald Trump's visit Sunday. The mural, painted in 2020, depicts 10 raised fists in a variety of colors with the word 'solidarity' spelled out on the wrists.
Why it matters
The stated goal of covering the mural was exterior branding and placing a U.S. flag on the building. Five Flags Center, Oak View Group and the City of Dubuque said they did not authorize hanging anything on the building's exterior, raising questions about the coordination of a presidential visit with a local public venue.
The mural's design includes 10 raised fists of a variety of colors and was painted in 2020. The extraction does not indicate how the covering was approved or whether it will remain in place after the visit.
The players
Donald Trump
The 45th and 47th President of the United States, whose Sunday visit to Dubuque prompted the covering of the mural.
Oak View Group
A sports and entertainment venue management company that operates the Five Flags Center in Dubuque.
The details
Scott Hallgren, General Manager of Oak View Group, which operates Five Flags Center, is among those who said no exterior hanging was authorized. The White House Advance Team, which organizes official visits for the president, made the decision to cover the mural.
Timeline
• 2020: The 'Solidarity' mural is painted on the Five Flags Center in Dubuque, Iowa.
• Sunday: President Donald Trump visits Dubuque, and the mural is covered ahead of the visit.
Big Picture
Presidential advance teams routinely shape the visual setting of official visits, and this covering of the Dubuque mural places that practice in direct tension with the local venue operator and city government.
Residents and visitors to Dubuque's Five Flags Center may see the building's exterior differ during the visit. The episode shows how decisions made by visiting federal officials can alter how a local public venue appears to the community.
The takeaway
Decisions about a visiting official's presentation can override local venue and city authority, so residents concerned about how their public spaces are used can follow city council and venue operator statements for clarification.
Further reading
For more on labor-related civic debates, see Unions coverage in Dubuque.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kcrg.
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