White House Image Shuffle Puts Donald Trump Up Front

A defiant and bleeding Donald Trump will be the first to greet visitors who arrive in the primary, formal entrance of the White House.

The greeting comes in the form of a painting of the iconic photo of Trump surviving the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July during the 2024 presidential campaign. As of Friday, it hangs in the Grand Foyer of the White House.

The White House announced the move as “some new artwork” on its X and Instagram accounts.

The painting replaces a portrait of former President Barack Obama that had hung there since 2022. That has now been moved to a new prominent spot, the entrance hall of the White House state floor, which was previously occupied by George W. Bush’s portrait. Bush’s portrait, in turn, has been moved to a nearby staircase to the residence, also a prominent location.

The new foyer painting captures the moment when Trump raised his fist, pumping out the words “fight, fight, fight,” which became a campaign rallying cry as well as the photograph of the moment itself.

The Associated Press reported the original painting on canvas “was done by artist Marc Lipp and was donated to the White House by Andrew Pollock via the Blue Gallery in Delray Beach, Florida.”

AP said:

Lipp’s online biography as part of the Blue Gallery website describes him as “a Modern Pop Art who translates his love for art through paintings and sculptures.” Pollack is an author and school safety advocate whose daughter Meadow was among the students killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

AP also implied that the portrait shuffle may be a matter of Trump’s perceived competition with previous presidents:

Regardless of party affiliation, the sitting president had often genially hosted his immediate predecessor for the unveiling of his portrait, but Trump did not extend that courtesy to Obama.

It was left to then-President Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill, to welcome former President Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, to the White House for the unveiling of their portraits in 2022.

The outlet said Biden’s official portrait is not yet completed.

Trump is known to weigh in about how he’s portrayed by artists and photographers. Last month,  it was reported a painting of Trump that had hung with other presidential portraits in the Colorado capitol was taken down after he said that his likeness was “purposefully distorted.”

The president suggested that British-born artist Sarah Boardman “must have lost her talent as she got older.” He added, “The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst.”