DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on September 26, 2026
There’s a painting hanging in the White House Grand Foyer that shows Trump moments after a bullet grazed his ear during a July 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, fist raised, blood on his face, Secret Service agents pulling him off stage. It replaced Barack Obama’s official portrait in that same spot back in April, and this week, during Xi Jinping’s state visit, it became an unexpected stop on the president’s personal tour of the building.
The painting itself, created by artist Marc Lipp and gifted to the White House by Andrew Pollack, captures the instant Trump turned back toward the crowd and shouted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” after being shot at. It’s become one of the most recognizable images of his political career, and now it’s also part of the standard tour he gives visiting heads of state.
A photo from Thursday’s walk-through shows Trump gesturing toward the painting with Xi standing beside him. Writer Joseph Allen shared the image online with a caption of his own: “The most embarrassing image ever captured of a U.S. president.”
The most embarrassing image ever captured of a U.S. president. pic.twitter.com/SCq9Tma6L0
— Joseph Allen (@j_g_allen) September 25, 2026
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Replies came in fast, and people had different takes.
Faking an assassination it was bigly. When did presidents suck up to dictators? Going to the airport like a weak bitch pathetic Xi is laughing at the weakest president the world has ever seen he could take us out now easily
— bibs420 (@bibs4202) September 26, 2026
He’s like a kid showing off his Taylor Swift poster 🙄 pic.twitter.com/pvjBXzcIoo
— J. Dixon Beck (@johndixonbeck) September 25, 2026
Hideous but typical Trump ego trip. President Xi is not impressed.
— Tió Nadal (@JanHartman22) September 26, 2026
Xi is looking at Trump, not the absurd photo, confirming in his mind we’ve been right all along…Trump has no decorum.
— @ParapenteJohn (@ParapenteJohn) September 26, 2026
Fake painting of a fake photo of a fake assassination.
— +Mr.Wit (@MrWit__) September 25, 2026
The swap itself became a story back in April, when the White House quietly removed Obama’s portrait from its traditional spot near the East Room. Officials confirmed at the time that Obama’s portrait hadn’t disappeared entirely. “Obama remains in the Entrance Hall of the White House State Floor,” Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields wrote on X.
Obama remains in the Entrance Hall of the White House State Floor. pic.twitter.com/lOLv7371Cd
— Harrison Fields (@HFields47) April 11, 2025
Communications Director Steven Cheung added his own explanation, saying “the Obama portrait was just moved a few feet away,” before telling a critic online to “pipe down, moron.”
Pipe down, moron.
The Obama portrait was just moved a few feet away. https://t.co/2K6XsHn54N
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) April 11, 2025
The White House described the switch simply at the time, posting a brief video with the caption “Some new artwork at the White House.”
Some new artwork at the White House 👀 pic.twitter.com/l6u5u7k82T
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 11, 2025
Obama’s original portrait, painted for his official White House unveiling in 2022, now hangs in a different hallway spot near a Steinway piano that once belonged to Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
