Donald Trump has moved the official portraits of former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and George H. W. Bush to a less visible spot in the White House. The pictures now hang at the top of the Grand Staircase, a place where most visitors on tours will not see them. This is a big change from how portraits are usually displayed.
Normally, the White House shows the portraits of recent presidents in the main entrance area. Visitors and guests can easily see them during official events or tours. Right now, the portrait of current President Joe Biden is not yet finished, so it is not hanging anywhere.
Trump’s decision to move these portraits follows months of tension between him and Barack Obama. Trump has made serious claims, saying Obama and his team committed treason during the 2016 election. Obama’s office responded quickly, calling Trump’s claims “outrageous,” “bizarre,” and “a weak attempt at distraction.” That was not the end of the fight. Trump’s attorney general started a grand jury investigation into whether Obama’s team made false reports about Russia’s election interference.
The Bush family also has had a rocky relationship with Trump. George H. W. Bush, who passed away in 2018, once called Trump a “blowhard” and voted for Hillary Clinton instead of him. George W. Bush, the son, was called “failed and uninspiring” by Trump. Even though George W. Bush and Laura Bush came to Trump’s 2025 inauguration, they did not attend the lunch after the ceremony. That says a lot.
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Trump has a habit of changing White House traditions. Early in his first term, he replaced the portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush with older presidents like William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
The tradition of hanging presidential portraits in the White House started in the 1960s thanks to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Before that, portraits were put up without much order. Sometimes Congress paid for them, sometimes presidents or their friends did. It was a bit messy.
Betty Monkman, a former White House curator, said it is normal for presidents and first ladies to invite former presidents, friends, and staff to special ceremonies when unveiling portraits. She called these events “a statement of generosity.” For example, during President Lyndon Johnson’s time, many important people came to see Eleanor Roosevelt’s portrait unveiling.
Featured image via X screengrab
