President Donald Trump has ordered the relocation of official portraits of former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush from prominent public display areas to a restricted stairwell in the White House, breaking decades of established protocol.
Trump directed staff to move Obama’s portrait to the top of the Grand Staircase, where it now hangs in a corner at the landing of the entrance to the private residence. The area is heavily restricted to members of the first family, U.S. Secret Service agents, and a limited number of White House and executive residence staff. The portraits of both Bush presidents have also been relocated to the same staircase area.
White House protocol and precedent calls for portraits of the most recent American presidents to receive the most prominent placement in the entrance of the executive mansion, visible to guests during official events and visitors on tours. The Obama portrait, painted by Robert McCurdy and unveiled in September 2022, is now firmly out of view for any visitor hoping to see the photorealistic painting.
This marks the second time Obama’s portrait has been repositioned during Trump’s presidency. In April, the portrait was moved across the Grand Foyer and replaced with a painting depicting Trump surviving the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Multiple sources indicated that the president is directly involved with nearly everything done to the aesthetic of the White House, big or small.
The portrait maneuvers reflect escalating tensions between Trump and his predecessors. Trump recently accused Obama and members of his administration of committing treason during the 2016 election. This prompted a rare statement from Obama’s office, which called the claims “outrageous, bizarre, and a weak attempt at distraction.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi subsequently ordered prosecutors to begin a grand jury probe into allegations that top Obama administration officials manufactured intelligence about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. The investigation examines claims that Obama’s team politicized intelligence against Trump after he defeated Hillary Clinton.
Long-simmering tensions also exist between Trump and the Bush family. The elder Bush, who died in 2018, called Trump a blowhard in a biography and voted for Clinton in the 2016 election. George W. Bush, whom Trump has attacked as a failed and uninspiring president, attended Trump’s 2025 inauguration but did not attend the post-ceremony luncheon.
The formal tradition of presidential portraits began in the early 1960s under First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. The White House Historical Association has privately funded the portraits since 1965. In the modern era, presidents and first ladies typically invite their predecessors, former staff, and family for unveiling ceremonies.
During Trump’s first term, he replaced portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in the Grand Foyer, choosing instead to highlight William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. A portrait of former President Joe Biden has not yet been completed.
The relocation comes amid broader aesthetic changes Trump has implemented throughout the White House. He has overseen a golden overhaul of the Oval Office, reconstructed the Rose Garden by paving over the historic grassy lawn with concrete, and announced plans to build a grand ballroom in the East Wing. Trump acknowledged his involvement in White House decorating during an Aug. 11 press conference, noting that he handles such matters in his part time because it’s a natural instinct.
In June, Trump removed Hillary Clinton’s first lady portrait from the East Wing, replacing it with a portrait of former First Lady Patricia Nixon. He also removed a bust of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office and eliminated a pot of Swedish ivy that had been in the room for 50 years.
The president has added numerous personal touches to the White House, including a framed New York Post cover displaying his mug shot on the wall outside the Oval Office. He enlisted his Mar-a-Lago cabinetmaker to add gold finishes throughout the White House, including gilded carvings for the Oval Office fireplace mantel and gold coasters bearing his name.
Obama currently enjoys the highest favorability rating among all living presidents. His office declined to comment on the recent portrait relocation. The White House and White House Historical Association have not responded to requests for comment regarding the changes.
The portrait moves underscore the ongoing political tensions between Trump and his predecessors, particularly as Trump continues to make accusations regarding the 2016 election and Russian interference investigations. The decision to relocate the portraits to an area inaccessible to public tours represents a departure from established White House traditions designed to honor the continuity of American presidential history.
