Painting of Trump’s Butler assassination attempt replaces Barack Obama’s portrait in White House

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House has swapped the official portrait of former president Barack Obama to make way for an “artwork” inspired by the July 2024 assassination attempt on the life of President Donald Trump. 

As reported by People, the portraits were swapped on Friday, April 11, marking a major change in the White House tradition. 

For the swap, Obama’s formal portrait was replaced with an artwork inspired by the events of Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. The portrait shows a defiant Trump raising his fist after a bullet grazed his ear in an apparent assassination attempt.

Barack Obama’s portrait gets swapped by Donald Trump painting

In a deviation from the White House tradition of displaying the portraits of the last two predecessors of the sitting president in the Grand Foyer in the East Wing, Trump’s painting was brought in the place of Barack Obama’s portrait. 

The Grand Foyer in the East Wing is one of the most prime locations in the White House as it is near the entrance of the executive mansion, and thus visible to any state guest or visitor. 

Since Joe Biden’s portrait is not yet completed, the two most recent presidential portraits that were on display were of Obama and his predecessor, George W Bush.

After the swap was made on Friday, the White House announced the news through its official social media account. 

As reported by CNN, after Trump’s painting was placed in place of Obama’s portrait, the Nobel Prize winner’s portrait was moved across the Grand Foyer in place of a President George W Bush portrait. 

Bush’s picture was, on the other hand, removed to a nearby staircase in the mansion near the portrait of his late father, former president George HW Bush. 

The presidential portraits of the White House are now privately funded by the nonprofit White House Historical Association. While prior to the 1960s, the portraits were commissioned either by Congress or the president’s personal friends, after the 1960s, the portraits became an organized custom under the able leadership of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. 

According to People, Trump’s latest photo is based on the photographs of the assassination attempt by Evan Vucci and New York Times photographer Doug Mills. The painter’s name is, however, not yet confirmed. 

This is not the first time that Trump has removed a president’s photo from the Grand Foyer. During his first term, Trump replaced the portraits of former presidents Bill Clinton and Bush with the portraits of past presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

Donald Trump's latest portrait in White House sparks debate online

Social media users were left fuming at the latest photo swap in the White House as they called the 47th president a "classic narcissist" whose "insecurities are on full display everyday."

One user said on Facebook, "He can change all the pictures as he’d like he’ll never be half the president Obama was."

"He is a classic narcissist. Everything is all about him 💯 of the time!" chimed in another. 

Someone else criticized the president's stance of changing the portrait, writing, "Not typical to display sitting president. Trump has no class, just a giant ego."

"His jealousy and obsession with Obama is so weird especially since he doesn’t like him! He’s jealous because he didn’t get two terms back to back which speaks volumes! He’s always playing victim and wants pity, well I pity those of us who didn’t vote for him!" mused another user. 

Someone else referenced the July 2024 assassination effort on Trump, and asked, "What ever happened to that “assassin” 🙄."

Another user gleefully commented, "He lives rent-free in that man’s head, and I love it."

"That is very disrespectful, all past presidents should be honored and respected," vehemently protested one person. 

Someone else added, "Can be sure now it was staged for this "portrait.""

"He’s all about : Me, Myself and I…," declared another disgruntled user. 

Someone else noted, "His insecurities are on full display everyday 🤡."

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