Fact Check: Was Michelle Obama’s portrait destroyed during White House East Wing demolition?
WASHINGTON, DC: As tensions mount over the White House East Wing demolition, several rumors are spreading rapidly online. One viral claim alleges that Michelle Obama’s portrait was destroyed during the demolition.
The official White House ballroom project, announced at a cost of about $350 million, began construction in September 2025, with active demolition of the East Wing starting in October to make way for a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
Claim: The White House portrait of Michelle Obama was destroyed
A viral claim circulating online alleges that the Trump administration destroyed a portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama during the demolition of the White House East Wing in October 2025. The rumor appears to have originated after satellite images captured the demolition work, prompting widespread speculation.
One Facebook post combined an edited image of the East Colonnade, Michelle’s official portrait unveiled in 2022, and satellite images of the demolished East Wing. The post read, “Liberals cannot believe this beautiful portrait of first lady Michelle Obama has been demolished with the East Wing. They have one question for MAGA: 'Is this really what you voted for?!'”
The claim quickly spread across X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky, sparking intense online debate. Some users questioned the fate of the portrait: “How do you know they didn’t take it down and store it in the vault?” Others clarified, “It was not destroyed with the building. It was put in storage with the rest of the items that were in the East Wing.” Another user expressed disappointment, asking, “Do you keep pictures of the home’s previous owner hanging up at your new house?”
Fact Check: False, Michelle Obama’s portrait was not destroyed
The claim that Michelle Obama’s portrait was destroyed during the White House East Wing demolition is false. The portrait has always hung in the Ground Floor Corridor, which was not part of the demolished East Wing. No evidence suggests that the Trump administration, or anyone else, damaged the 2022 portrait.
The Obamas unveiled their portraits in September 2022. Since then, Michelle Obama’s portrait has remained in the Ground Floor Corridor alongside other first lady portraits, continuing a tradition started by Edith Roosevelt in 1902.
Additionally, searches on Google, Yahoo, and Bing using terms such as “‘Michelle Obama,’ official, portrait, ‘White House,’ destroyed” produced no reports indicating that the portrait was harmed. Reputable news outlets would almost certainly have covered such a story if it were true. Likewise, searches for “‘Michelle Obama,’ official, portrait, moved, to, ‘East Wing’” revealed no evidence that her portrait was ever relocated to the East Wing.
White House press office spokesperson Davis Ingle addressed the rumors in an email statement to Snopes, saying, “The Michelle Obama portrait was never even in the East Wing to begin with, and everything that was in the East Wing was preserved. These are dumb internet rumors that I am surprised you even need to ask about.”
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
