Trump banishes Obama, Bush portraits from prime White House spots

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have quietly lost their prime wall space at the White House — thanks to Donald Trump.

CNN reports that Trump personally ordered the relocation of their official portraits from highly visible areas into a little-used stairwell leading to the presidential residence.

The secluded spot is off-limits to the public and most staff, meaning the paintings are now hidden from thousands of visitors who typically pass by them daily.

The move breaks long-standing White House tradition of placing recent presidents in prominent display. Both Bushes  George W. and George H.W.  have also been moved to the same obscure staircase.

In place of Obama’s portrait in the Grand Foyer, Trump reportedly installed his own painting,  a dramatic image of himself during his first assassination attempt. Critics on social media have blasted the decision as petty and self-serving.

“Imagine being this insecure,” one Democrat wrote on X. Another called it “jealous 12-year-old behavior.”

The Obama portrait, painted by Robert McCurdy, is known for its stark white background and hyper-realistic detail — every wrinkle, every strand of gray hair intact. At its unveiling in 2022, Obama joked: “He refused to hide any of my gray hairs.”

This isn’t the first time Trump has tinkered with Obama’s place in the White House. Earlier in April, he shifted the 44th president’s portrait to a less prominent position, replacing it with another Trump-centric image.

Trump’s relationship with both Obama and the Bush family has been frosty for years. Now, their official likenesses share the same fate — banished from the spotlight into a staircase few will ever climb.