President Donald Trump has rearranged the White House. Trump had former President Barack Obama’s official portrait removed and replaced with a painting created using a photograph taken after the July 2024 assassination attempt. Trump ordered the Obama portrait removed on Friday, April 11. The new portrait showcases Trump raising his arm shortly after a bullet reportedly grazed his ear at a rally he held in Butler, Pennsylvania. The White House announced the swap on its X social media page.
Trump Breaks Tradition
By exchanging the portraits, Trump breaks a long-standing White House tradition of displaying the two most recent presidential portraits in the Grand Foyer. They are displayed in the foyer so state guests, as well as visitors, can easily view them. Because Trump and former President Joe Biden’s official portraits are not complete, Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush’s, portraits remained on display.
Obama Portrait Has Been Relocated
Reportedly, the Obama portrait is now hanging across the Grand Foyer, where Bush’s portrait was hung. Bush’s portrait was bumped out of the foyer prematurely and hung beside the portrait of his father, George H. W. Bush.
This is not the first time that Trump has broken White House tradition when it comes to presidential portraits. In his first term as president, he removed portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush and hung portraits of former Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
Artist Of New Painting Unknown
The Obama portrait was painted by Robert McCurdy. We do not know the identity of the artist who created the painting of Trump. The painting is based on a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci and Doug Mills from The New York Times.
When Obama’s portrait was unveiled, he said, “When future generations walk these halls and look up at these portraits, I hope they get a better honest sense of who Michelle and I were. And I hope they leave with a deeper understanding that if we could make it here, maybe they can, too. They can do remarkable things, too.”
Biden Unveiled the Obama Portrait
The Obama portrait was put in the foyer after its unveiling in 2022. The White House says it will remain in the foyer but not in its former prominent location. The move was announced with a video on the White House’s social media account on X.
A sitting president usually hosts his predecessor for the official unveiling of their portrait, but Trump decided not to extend that traditional courtesy to Obama. Instead, then-President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted the Obamas and unveiled the portrait during Biden’s presidency in 2022.
Some Portraits Are Gifts
Portraits of other early presidents were given to the White House as gifts. Most of the paintings were paid for by the White House Historical Association. The first portraits purchased were of Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson, followed by the portraits of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy
The White House portraits of presidents and their first ladies are viewed by millions of visitors. Not all of the president’s portraits are currently on display some are undergoing conservation and others have been placed in storage.
