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Trump Relocates Obama and Bush Portraits to Private Stairwell

Flouts decades-old display norms by placing former presidents’ official portraits in a stairwell closed to public tours.

The official White House portrait of former President Barack Obama is displayed in the East Room of the White House, in September 2022.
Image
Former President George W. Bush's White House portrait is seen at left, as members of the US Marine Band play holiday music during a press tour of White House Christmas decorations in November 2021.

Overview

  • On August 10, Trump instructed staff to hang the official portraits of Barack Obama, George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush at the top landing of the Grand Staircase, removing them from view during White House tours.
  • The stairwell area is restricted to the First Family, US Secret Service agents and select residence staff, barring thousands of visitors from seeing the paintings.
  • White House protocol, established in the 1960s, requires recent presidents’ portraits to greet guests at the executive mansion’s entrance, but Trump has twice overridden this convention.
  • Earlier this year, he first moved Obama’s portrait across the Grand Foyer and replaced it with his own post-assassination attempt painting, reflecting his hands-on control of decor.
  • The relocations parallel heightened personal and political tensions, including Trump’s unsubstantiated treason claims against Obama and a grand jury probe into alleged Obama-era misconduct ordered by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.