On Friday, an emotional painting of President Trump, depicted just after being grazed by an assassin’s botched bullet, took the spot previously held by a portrait of former President Barack Obama.
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The portraits were officially swapped on Friday, April 11, according to CNN. The new painting of the 78-year-old Trump depicts a striking moment: him raising his fist after narrowly avoiding an apparent assassination attempt when a bullet grazed his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. The White House announced the change through its official social media channels.
The painting was created by artist Marc Lipp and was gifted to the White House by Andrew Pollack, according to a White House official speaking to The New York Post.
Pollack, an author and dedicated school safety advocate, tragically lost his 18-year-old daughter, Meadow, in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 lives were taken.
Trump’s Presidential Portrait Shakeup Breaks White House Tradition
The change marks a departure from White House tradition. Typically, the Grand Foyer in the East Wing—positioned near the entrance of the executive mansion—features portraits of the two most recent presidents preceding the current one, prominently displayed for state guests and visitors. With former President Joe Biden’s portrait still in progress, the portraits of Barack Obama, 63, and his predecessor, George W. Bush, had been the most recent ones on display.
Obama’s portrait now graces the Grand Foyer, while Bush’s portrait has been relocated. Originally displayed in the same area, it was moved near the staircase alongside the portrait of his late father, former President George H.W. Bush, per CNN.
Since taking office in January, Trump has sprinkled his signature gold flair all over the West Wing. The Oval Office now gleams with ornate touches on furniture, the fireplace, and walls—think Mar-a-Lago meets presidential workspace.
Trump has adorned the West Wing with front pages from The Post celebrating his political resurgence.