The White House moved the official portrait of former President Barack Obama to a new location in the East Room, and placed his fist in the air at a painting of President Donald Trump shortly after last year’s assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The portrait appears to be based on photos of candy cards from the time, surrounded by secret service agents, still on stage after being filmed at the campaign event. That image, along with Trump’s words, “fight, fight, fight,” became a hallmark of Trump’s bids in the second term.
The White House announced the Switch in a short video posted to X on Friday.
An Obama spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night.
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The new Trump painting takes a place that is traditionally reserved for the latest official presidential portrait. Former President Joe Biden, who took office in January, does not yet have an official portrait.
Tradition says the portrait hanging from this location is next to the east room of the Foyer after he stepped into the White House, but that’s not a difficult and fast rule, a former White House official told NBC News. The president can instruct the curators to move things.
Previous officials noted that during his first term, Trump moved portraits of former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Trump does not have an official portrait from his first term. He would have usually been revealed at some point during his successor’s term. At the time, the Biden administration introduced the White House Historical Society questions on the issue. The White House Historical Society is promoting the acquisition of the president and first female portraits since 1965.
Obama’s portrait wasn’t the only one that moved during a recent Trump renovation. According to White House officials, the portrait of the 44th president has been moved to George W. Bush’s occupied territory, and the portrait of Bush is now on the stairs.
Deputy White House Press Secretary Harrison Fields posted a photo of the new location of Obama’s portrait on Friday.
Some Republicans placed a passionate emphasis on new decorations. Trump Trump ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, has reposted a lined photo comparing the Obama portrait to the place now decorated with Trump portraits. “It’s much better,” wrote the Georgia Republican.
Exchange is the latest development in an unexpected chain of portrait-related events. Last month, Trump demanded that his painting be brought down, hanging from the Colorado State Capitol, be toppled – it was quickly removed – and in January, a portrait of former co-chief Chairman Mark Millie suddenly disappeared from the Pentagon’s dedicated walls.
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