The Washington Post was the first to report the changes. According to the daily, the modifications included the “America's Presidents” exhibition, dedicated to all the presidents of the United States. The previous portrait of Trump was replaced with a black and white photo showing him in the Oval Office, standing behind a desk and looking directly at the camera. The change was also noted by the White House on its social media.
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Why was the portrait of Donald Trump changed?
What changes were made to the description of Trump's portrait?
Who is the author of the new photo of Donald Trump?
What photo is Trump's new portrait supposed to refer to?
Trump's portrait at the exhibition of presidents has been changed. Inconvenient description removed
The author of the new photo is Daniel Torok, the official White House photographer in Trump's second term. The new photo replaced a color shot by Matt McClain. According to the American daily, the current portrait is a reference to the famous photo of John F. Kennedy from 1961, titled “The Loneliest Job”.
However, the changes affected not only the image itself. Information about Trump's two impeachments and the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 was removed from the portrait's caption. “Impeached twice on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after his supporters attacked the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials,” the old caption said.
The media point out that such a shortened signature differs from the information included in the portraits of other presidents, where key events from their term of office are still mentioned. For example, Bill Clinton's image still mentions impeachment.
National Portrait Gallery spokeswoman Concetta Duncan explained that the institution is analyzing the possibility of introducing more sparse, minimalist captions for selected exhibits. She also emphasized that Trump's portrait at this exhibition had been changed several times before. In a statement to CNN, the gallery noted that the presidential exhibition is being updated.
In turn, a representative of the White House, quoted by CNN, stated that after replacing the portrait, “Donald Trump's characteristic aura will be even more felt in the National Portrait Gallery.”
