The White House says Obama’s portrait is still in the foyer, but was moved to the opposite wall where a portrait of former President George W. Bush used to hang.
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — The White House on Friday hung a painting of President Donald Trump depicting a moment after an assassination attempt against him last summer — bumping the official portrait of one of his predecessors, Barack Obama.
Hanging a new presidential likeness without advance notice is unusual, and Trump putting himself in that space could be seen as him breaking with norms yet again. By tradition, portraits of the two most recent former presidents go on display in the foyer — and Trump is in the unique position of also being a former president.
Obama’s portrait went on display in the foyer of the State Floor, near the staircase to the president’s residence, after it was unveiled in 2022. The White House said it is still in the foyer, but has been moved to the opposite wall, where a portrait of former President George W. Bush used to hang.
Plans are to move Bush’s portrait nearer to his father’s, former President George H.W. Bush, which is on the staircase to the residence.
The White House announced the unexpected change in a post on its official account on X with a photo of the new painting that said, “Some new artwork at the White House” and a pair of emoji eyes. The painting captures the aftermath of an attempt on Trump’s life during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was wounded in the ear and thrust his fist skyward as he said, “fight, fight, fight!”
Those words became a key rallying cry of his successful reelection campaign.
The original painting on canvas was done by artist Marc Lipp and was donated to the White House by Andrew Pollock via the Blue Gallery in Delray Beach, Florida, the White House said.
Lipp’s online biography as part of the Blue Gallery website describes him as “a Modern Pop Art who translates his love for art through paintings and sculptures.” Pollack is an author and school safety advocate whose daughter Meadow was among the students killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Regardless of party affiliation, the sitting president had often genially hosted his immediate predecessor for the unveiling of his portrait, but Trump did not extend that courtesy to Obama.
It was left to then-President Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill, to welcome former President Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, to the White House for the unveiling of their portraits in 2022, as Democrat Bill Clinton did for Republican George W. Bush and the younger President Bush did for Clinton.
The Obamas hosted George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, at the White House for their portrait unveiling in 2012.
There was an unexplained pause when Trump did not host Obama during his first term.
Biden left office nearly three months ago and it likely will be a few years before his and the former first lady’s portraits are commissioned and completed.
Trump has involved himself with paintings outside of the White House, too.
Last month, a painting of Trump that had hung with other presidential portraits at the Colorado state Capitol was taken down after he complained that his likeness was “purposefully distorted.”
The White House portrait collection starts with George Washington, America’s first president. Congress bought his portrait.
Other portraits of early presidents and first ladies often came to the White House as gifts. Since the 1960s, the White House Historical Association has paid for most of the paintings. The first portraits financed by the association were of Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson, and John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, said Stewart McLaurin, president of the private, nonprofit organization established by first lady Kennedy.
President and first lady portraits are seen by millions of White House visitors, though not all are on display. Some are undergoing conservation or are in storage.
Those on display line hallways and rooms in public areas of the mansion, such as the Ground Floor and its Vermeil and China Rooms, and the State Floor one level above, which has the famous Green, Blue and Red Rooms, the East Room and State Dining Room.
Superville reported from West Palm Beach, Florida.
