Last month, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery unveiled the official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama. They're part of the "America's Presidents" exhibit, and the portraits of the first African-American president and First Lady were even more significant because the artists commissioned to do the job were for the first time black too.

"I’m also thinking about all of the young people, particularly girls and girls of color, who, in years ahead, will come to this place and they will look up and they will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the wall of this great American institution," said Michelle Obama in her speech at the unveiling.

Barack had big praise for the modernist portrait of his wife, thanking the artist by saying, "Amy, I want to thank you for capturing the grace and beauty and intelligence and charm — and hotness — of the woman that I love."

But it seems there might be one other person contending for the title of Biggest Fan of the portrait.

A young girl by the name of Parker was visiting the museum with her family and was photographed standing in front of Michelle's portrait, her mouth hanging open and looking at the former first lady in wonder.

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The picture was taken by fellow museum-goer Ben Hines, who was visiting DC with his mother. He uploaded the image to Facebook, and it has since been shared more than 27,000 times.

"It was so touching and uplifting for me to see this beautiful child looking at a beautiful portrait of a powerful woman," Ben told BuzzFeed News. "I was so delighted to have been in the right place at the right time."

He said that the unidentified girl was with her family standing in line in front of them, and noted that she was "excited and full of energy". But when gazing upon the painting, she stood transfixed, and even refused to turn around and pose for her mother's picture.

"It's hard to describe in words," Ben's mother, Donna, said. "She had such wonder on her face and her entire body just stopped as she looked at her, and she had this wonder that was silent and yet seemed to be saying something very big at the same time."

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The artist, Amy Sherald, shared the picture to Instagram, asserting that "representation matters".

After the image was cross-posted on other social media platforms, the girl's mother, Jessica, revealed that it was her daughter Parker. She took the two-year-old and her little sister Ava to see the Obama portraits, reiterating what Ben had said: "I was trying to get her to turn around so I could take a picture, but she wouldn't cooperate. She just wanted to stare at it. She was fascinated."

"As a little person looking at a portrait that large, I can imagine it's fascinating," Jessica told BuzzFeed News. "She had a little moment."

And Parker's "moment" left everyone else having their own kinds of moments too.

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Parker's very special moment was one that the rest of the world could empathise with, and it's certainly a photo that inspires hope for people from all walks of life.

"In the world we live in today, I'm just trying to raise a little girl who has opportunities to see women who look like her doing great things," said Parker's mom.

Bless.

Earlier this year, Barack and Michelle Obama's official portraits were unveiled at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibit displays paintings of every United States president and first lady, and the Obamas broke up a long, long, long line of white people. To mark the historic occasion, they commissioned black artists to paint the portraits (another first) who were both known for their unconventional modern styles.

Michelle's portrait was particularly striking. Baltimore artist Amy Sherald painted the first lady in a regal, sleeveless Milly gown, with a grand, sweeping skirt. In her speech at the unveiling, Michelle said, "I'm also thinking about all of the young people, particularly girls and girls of color, who, in years ahead, will come to this place and they will look up and they will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the wall of this great American institution."

One month later, a photo of a little girl entranced by Michelle Obama's portrait went viral. The awestruck girl was 2-year-old Parker Curry, who was visiting the museum with her family. Parker gazed up at the former first lady with her mouth hanging open, and the photo, taken by Ben Hines, gave everyone chills. "I was trying to get her to turn around so I could take a picture, but she wouldn't cooperate," Parker's mother, Jessica, told BuzzFeed News. "She just wanted to stare at it. She was fascinated."

After the photo went viral, Michelle Obama reached out to Parker and her family to invited them to her office in Washington. Finally, the mesmerized toddler and the first black first lady met face-to-face. Michelle shared videos of the two having a dance party on Twitter and Instagram. "Parker, I'm so glad I had the chance to meet you today (and for the dance party)!" wrote Michelle. "Keep on dreaming big for yourself...and maybe one day I'll proudly look up at a portrait of you!"

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Well, you'll never guess who Parker decided to dress up as for Halloween. (Okay, you probably can.) Speaking with CNN, Jessica said "her first immediate response" was to dress up as Michelle Obama - in the portrait dress, of course. Parker's dress was created by by Alisha Welsh, who runs the Magnolia Lake Children's Clothing in New York. Back when Parker's photo went viral, she reached out to the family, offering to make the girl her own Obama dress as a gift. When Halloween came around, the Currys took her up on that offer.

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Jessica said that the dress arrived in Halloween morning, and that when Parker saw it, "her jaw dropped."  "She was just like, 'Wow.' She was really excited. She was giggly," said the mother. When she asked the toddler if liked the gown, Parker replied, "It's perfect." In fact, Parker even asked to wear the dress again to school.

Speaking with BuzzFeed, Jessica added, "She twirled in [the dress]. She danced in it,"”Jessica said of the dress. “Running up to the houses she would pick up the front of the gown so she wouldn’t get it dirty. It was so cute.” “Parker talks about Michelle Obama every day. She lets people know every day that she is the one who met Michelle Obama and she is friends with Michelle Obama."

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On Twitter, Michelle Obama responded to the adorable Halloween photo, writing, "You nailed the look, Parker! I love it!!!!" It all comes full circle!

The official portrait of former President Barack Obama, once prominently displayed in the White House’s main entryway, has been moved to a far less visible location, a decision highlighting the long-running tensions between the 44th and 47th presidents.

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, President Donald Trump allegedly directed staff to relocate Obama’s portrait to the top of the Grand Staircase, an area of the executive mansion that is off-limits to the public, CNN has reported.

The change means the photorealistic Robert McCurdy painting, once seen by thousands of visitors on public tours, is now tucked into a corner near the private residential quarters, accessible only to the first family, Secret Service agents, and select White House staff.

Portraits of former Presidents George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush, both of whom had strained relationships with Trump, have also been moved to this restricted staircase area, per The Independent.

This is not the first time the Obama portrait has been repositioned during Trump’s presidency. In April, it was removed from the Grand Foyer and replaced with a painting depicting Trump surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Traditionally, White House protocol gives the most recent presidents pride of place in the entrance hall, visible during official events and public tours. While a portrait of President Joe Biden has yet to be completed, the removal of recent predecessors marks a clear break from precedent.

The decision comes amid renewed hostilities between Trump and Obama. In recent months, Trump has accused the former president and his administration of committing treason during the 2016 election, a claim Obama’s office dismissed as “outrageous,” “bizarre,” and “a weak attempt at distraction,” per BBC News.

Following those remarks, Attorney General Pamela Bondi ordered prosecutors to convene a grand jury to investigate allegations that Obama officials fabricated intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 race.

Tensions between Trump and the Bush family also remain unresolved. The late George H. W. Bush once called Trump a “blowhard” and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

George W. Bush, whom Trump has labeled a “failed and uninspiring” president, attended Trump’s 2025 inauguration (even going viral online for the faces he pulled during the ceremony) but skipped the post-ceremony luncheon alongside former first lady Laura Bush.

Trump’s approach to the White House aesthetic has been hands-on, with sources saying he involves himself directly in even minor decorative changes. During his first term, he replaced portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in the Grand Foyer with those of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

The tradition of official presidential portraits, privately funded by the nonprofit White House Historical Association, dates back to the early 1960s under First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Before then, the process was inconsistent, sometimes funded by Congress, friends, or the presidents themselves.

In modern times, the unveiling ceremonies have been occasions of bipartisan goodwill, with the sitting president and first lady inviting their predecessors, staff, and family to attend.

“It’s a statement of generosity on the current president and first lady to invite all these people from an outgoing administration,” former White House curator Betty Monkman once said, recalling a 1960s ceremony for Eleanor Roosevelt’s portrait.

In this case, however, the relocation of the Obama portrait signals less an act of generosity and more a deliberate reshaping of how presidential history is displayed inside the White House.

Featured image credit: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images.

Donald Trump has been accused of racism after he shared another edited image featuring former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama on social media.

The post follows an earlier image that drew widespread criticism after it depicted the former first couple as primates in a jungle. That post was later removed following backlash around its blatant racism.

What is included in the racist image?

Donald Trump has found himself at the center of racism row. Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty

The latest edited image shows the Obamas smiling and waving while standing on the steps of a blue-and-white aircraft that has been spray-painted with the slogans "Yes We Can" and "BLM" (Black Lives Matter)".

This comes after a separate image circulating online has sparked widespread discussion after showing a black woman seated alone on a Washington, DC, train surrounded by white nationalist demonstrators.

The photo was taken during July 4 celebrations in the US capital, when hundreds of men wearing matching clothing and hats bearing the logo of the extremist group Patriot Front traveled into Washington by train.

Footage shared online showed members of the group chanting "reclaim America."

Some participants carried American flags, while others displayed Confederate flags, the banner associated with the Confederate states that fought to preserve slavery during the American Civil War.

Speaking at the National Mall during Independence Day celebrations, Trump praised the country, calling America the "crowning achievement" of human history.

He also declared: "Today our country is winning again, and we're winning like never before."

Trump's Truth Social posts

The edited image of Air Force One was one of several posts Trump shared on Truth Social on Sunday.

Among the posts was an older manipulated image that appeared to show Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni smiling and looking up at Trump beneath the caption: "RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED."

The post could also reignite controversy ahead of this week's meetings in Turkey. Trump previously claimed that Meloni repeatedly asked to have her picture taken with him during the recent G7 summit, suggesting she had been eager to secure a photo opportunity with him due to his influential position.

Featured Image. Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty

Whenever the White House gets handed over from the Democrats to Republicans (or vice versa) after an election, there are always noticeable juxtapositions in the way that government is handled. Republicans tend to take a harder line on economic policies, for example, whereas Democrats often make waves in the realm of social change.

However, no two consecutive presidents in history have ever been as opposite as Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

The former - America's first African American leader - was hailed as a marker of progress, a highly-educated leader, and a man with genuine empathy and respect for his country. Trump, on the other hand, is known as a hard-headed businessman, a womanizer, and, by his own admission a man who wants to make America great "again" by somehow taking it back to the 'good old days'.

But the disparity between the former and current presidents never truly hit home until people began sharing images of how each one reacted to the most horrific school shootings of their respective terms.

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Trump, who last year signed a measure that would make it easier for mentally ill people to purchase weapons (and yet blames mass shootings on mental health problems), visited some of the victims of the recent Parkland shooting last week.

During his visit, he appeared to be all smiles, and was even flashing a thumbs up in several pictures. A recent image of his personal notes also showed that he had to be reminded to show empathy to the victims, with one of the bullet points saying "I hear you".

In contrast, images of Obama after the Sandy Hook shooting show a man who is truly distraught at the deaths of so many young citizens. He spent the following days working, comforting families, and making tearful speeches about gun control in the country. Trump, on the other hand, went about his usual routine.

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After Trump's brief visit to the hospital, many people called him out for his hypocritical behavior.

"Him coming here is absolutely absurd, and he's a hypocrite," said Mark Bogen, the vice mayor of Florida's Broward County. "How can you come here and talk about how horrible it is when you support these laws?"

He went on:

"So President Trump now, based on his actions, allows mentally ill people to purchase guns when over a year ago they could not, and then comes down here and wants to act as though this is horrible, and this shouldn't happen, but goes back to Washington and supports it.

"It is hypocrisy, it is absolute hypocrisy."

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Many students who were present during the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week have since stood up to Trump and other pro-gun politicians in order to make their opinions on the matter heard.

Emma Gonzales, who has been at the forefront of the student-led campaign to regulate gun control, said at a rally this weekend:

“If the president wants to come up to me and tell me to my face that it was a terrible tragedy, and how it should never have happened, and maintain telling us how nothing is going to be done about it, I’m going to happily ask him how much money he received from the National Rifle Association."

Needless to say, Trump is still maintaining a hard line on his gun stance at present, and has even suggested that he wants to see more weapons in classrooms by arming teachers.