President Donald Trump is well-known for taking petty jabs at his political opponents. Now, a recent move to redecorate the White House is being viewed by many as a jab by Trump against three previous presidents who have long been the targets of his criticism.
Trump moves Obama, Bush portraits out of public view
Sources told CNN that the official White House portrait of former President Barack Obama has recently been moved from a prominent position in the White House entryway to the top of an internal staircase, outside of the view of the public. CNN confirmed that it had obtained a picture of the Obama portrait at the top of the stairs leading to the entrance of the private residence, which is only accessible to individuals such as members of the Trump family, other White House officials and Secret Service members. One of the sources reported that the portraits of former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush were also moved to the staircase. The moves break with tradition, which has generally dictated that portraits of recent presidents be visible to guests and tour visitors in prominent areas of the White House.
An official portrait of former President Joe Biden is not yet completed, and there does not appear to be any indication where Trump will have it placed. The Obama painting has been moved at least twice this year; in April, it was taken from the White House’s Grand Foyer and replaced by a painting depicting Trump after he survived a July 2024 assassination attempt. Trump has made controversial decisions regarding past presidential portraits; for example, during both his terms, Trump has decorated the Oval Office with presidential portraits of Andrew Jackson, a slaveholder famous for his policy of “Indian removal” that forcibly displaced Native Americans from their homelands in a process now known as the Trail of Tears.
Trump’s grudges against past presidents
Many are accusing Trump of moving the portraits as part of petty grudges he holds against the past presidents. Trump has long held apparent animosity against Obama. Trump largely rode to political prominence by pushing the “birther” conspiracy, which falsely claimed that Obama was born in Kenya and was therefore not eligible to be president of the United States. Trump and officials within the current administration have baselessly accused Obama of “treason” for investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Even Trump’s recent preoccupation with winning a Nobel Peace Prize is seen by many as an effort to compete with Obama, who was awarded the prize in 2009.
Trump has also long been a critic of the Bush family; Trump had harsh words for the Bushes when he defeated then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and other GOP candidates to gain the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Former President George H.W. Bush, who died in 2018, reportedly once described Trump as a “blowhard,” and his wife, Barbara, publicly called Trump a “comedian” and a “showman” while showing support for Jeb during the 2016 race, Politico reported. Trump has also criticized President George W. Bush for the Iraq War, while the younger Bush has been limited in his direct remarks about the current president.
As Trump has used much of his second term to settle scores and go after political opponents, even former presidents are among his targets. Moving the portraits of Obama and both Bushes is yet another way for Trump to take shots at his predecessors.
