White House replaces Obama portrait with defiant Trump
The painting of the current US president with blood on his face and the American flag now hangs in the Grand Foyer
The White House has put a dramatic painting of US President Donald Trump on display in a prominent spot in the Grand Foyer of the East Wing, replacing the official portrait of former President Barack Obama.
The new artwork depicts Trump with blood on his face and the American flag in the background, capturing the moment he raised a clenched fist after surviving the July 2024 assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The dramatic scene, showing Secret Service agents rushing to shield Trump as he gestures defiantly, became a defining image of his re-election campaign, echoing his call to “fight, fight, fight.”
“Some new artwork at the White House ????,” the administration posted on Friday via its official X account, sharing a short video of the painting.
Some new artwork at the White House ???? pic.twitter.com/l6u5u7k82T
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 11, 2025
The portrait, based on a photograph by New York Times photographer Doug Mills, was created by artist Marc Lipp and donated by school safety advocate Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
Some critics noted that the spot in the Grand Foyer is traditionally reserved for portraits of recent presidents. However, they acknowledged that Trump, being a former president himself, is not breaking with any official protocol.
Obama remains in the Entrance Hall of the White House State Floor. pic.twitter.com/lOLv7371Cd
— Harrison Fields (@HFields47) April 11, 2025
Although Obama’s portrait was moved to make way for the new painting, it remains on public display in another prominent location overlooking a Steinway grand piano once played by Franklin D. Roosevelt, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields clarified.
“Obama remains in the Entrance Hall of the White House State Floor,” Fields wrote on X. That location was previously occupied by George W. Bush’s portrait, which has now reportedly been moved to the staircase area.