Overview

• On August 11, Trump relocated portraits of Barack Obama, George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush to a private stairwell accessible only to the First Family, Secret Service and select staff.
• These portraits no longer appear on public tours, instead hanging in a secluded White House area.
• The move continues a pattern of using portrait placement for political messaging that began in his first term with swaps of Clinton’s and Bush’s images.
• The transfer breaks with protocol by removing former presidents’ images from high-traffic spaces typically reserved for official events and tours.
• Trump’s own official portrait, unveiled in January, remains prominently displayed in the main entrance gallery, and President Biden’s portrait is still in progress.