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.