The White House just made a daring move — and it’s catching plenty of attention.
In a striking change to the Grand Foyer’s décor, President Donald Trump’s team has replaced the official portrait of former President Barack Obama with a powerful new painting of Trump himself. The artwork, unveiled in a video posted Friday on X (formerly Twitter), captures the moment after last year’s assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania — an event that has since become a defining symbol of Trump’s resilience.
Painting of President Donald Trump after the assassination attempt, Photo Credit: Molly Ploofkins/X
The painting, based on a now-famous photograph, shows Trump with his fist raised high, bloodied but defiant, surrounded by Secret Service agents onstage moments after shots rang out. His rallying cry of “fight, fight, fight” that day became a cornerstone of his comeback campaign, fueling his bid for a second term in the Oval Office.
The White House worded the video simply: “Some new artwork at the White House.”
Barack Obama’s portrait hanging on a White House wall, Photo Credit: Molly Ploofkins/X
Requests for comment from Barack Obama’s office went unanswered as of Friday night.
The Grand Foyer traditionally hosts portraits of America’s most recent presidents, though a former White House official explained to NBC News that the arrangement isn’t set in stone. Presidents can direct curators to move or update the art on display as they see fit — and Trump has certainly taken advantage of that discretion before.
During his first term, Trump famously relocated the portraits of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to less prominent areas of the building.
Donald Trump with his bodyguards after the assassination attempt, Photo Credit: The Daily Guardian/Youtube
Interestingly, Trump still doesn’t have an official oil portrait from his first term, a tradition normally fulfilled during a successor’s presidency. When asked about the missing portrait during the Biden administration, officials pointed reporters to the White House Historical Association, which oversees the commissioning of presidential and first lady portraits.
The changes didn’t stop with Obama’s painting. According to White House sources, Obama’s portrait has been shifted to the spot once occupied by George W. Bush’s likeness — while Bush’s painting has been moved to a staircase nearby. Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields even shared a snapshot of the new arrangement Friday afternoon.
The updated Grand Foyer quickly sparked reactions across Capitol Hill. Republican firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene reposted a before-and-after comparison, captioning it with approval: “Much better.”
President Donald Trump in an interview with the backdrop of a portrait of him during the assassination attempt, Photo Credit: Sprinter Observer/X
This isn’t the first portrait drama involving Trump in recent months. In January, a portrait of former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley mysteriously disappeared from a Pentagon display. And just last month, Trump demanded the removal of his portrait from the Colorado statehouse — a request that officials promptly honored.
As President Trump settles back into the White House, it’s clear he’s reshaping the symbolism inside its historic halls — one painting at a time.
Sources: NBC News
