President Donald Trump has relocated the official portraits of former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush from their prominent White House positions to a restricted stairwell area, breaking with decades of established protocol that places recent presidents’ portraits in visible locations for public viewing.
Trump directed White House staff to move Obama’s portrait to the top of the Grand Staircase, where it now hangs in a corner at the landing entrance to the private residence. The restricted area is only accessible to members of the first family, Secret Service agents, and some White House and executive residence staff. The portraits of both Bush presidents have also been moved to the same staircase area.
The relocation marks the second time Obama’s portrait has been repositioned since Trump returned to office. In April, the portrait was moved across the Grand Foyer and replaced with a painting depicting Trump surviving the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The photorealistic Robert McCurdy painting of the former president is now completely out of view for the visitors who tour the White House every day.
Multiple sources familiar with the matter indicate that Trump is directly involved with nearly all aesthetic decisions at the White House, both major and minor. White House protocol and precedent traditionally call for portraits of the most recent American presidents to receive the most prominent placement in the entrance of the executive mansion, visible to guests during official events and visitors on tours.
The formal tradition of presidential portraits was established in the early 1960s under First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, according to former White House curator Betty Monkman. Prior to that period, there had been a relatively haphazard policy regarding portrait placement and funding. The portraits are now privately funded by the nonprofit White House Historical Association.
The portrait relocations coincide with escalating tensions between Trump and his predecessors. Trump recently accused Obama and members of his administration of committing treason during the 2016 election. Obama’s office responded to these accusations, with spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush calling the claims “outrageous,” “bizarre,” and “a weak attempt at distraction.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi subsequently ordered prosecutors to begin a grand jury probe into allegations that top Obama administration officials manufactured intelligence about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. The investigation does not indicate that charges are imminent.
Trump’s relationship with the Bush family has also been strained for years. George Bush, who died in 2018, called Trump a “blowhard” in a biography and voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Trump has attacked George W. Bush as a “failed and uninspiring” president. Despite these tensions, George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush attended Trump’s 2025 inauguration, though they did not attend the post-ceremony luncheon.
This portrait rearrangement represents part of Trump’s broader White House renovation efforts since returning to office. He has transformed the Rose Garden by paving over the historic grassy lawn with concrete and plans to build a $200 million ballroom resembling the style of his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The Oval Office has undergone significant changes, with Trump adding tacky gold leaf accents, tripling the number of paintings on display, and incorporating gilded architectural details, golden eagle statues, and cherub figurines from Mar-a-Lago. He removed a bust of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office in June, along with a pot of Swedish ivy that had been in the room for about 50 years.
During Trump’s first presidential term, he also rearranged presidential portraits, replacing those of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in the Grand Foyer with portraits of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Trump has indicated his personal involvement in selecting artwork, noting that he spent time in the White House vaults examining the art collection to choose pieces he preferred.
A portrait of former President Joe Biden has not yet been completed. The White House and the White House Historical Association have not responded to requests for comment regarding the portrait relocations. Obama’s office has declined to comment on the matter.
The modern tradition of presidential portrait unveiling ceremonies typically involves current presidents and first ladies inviting predecessors, former staff, friends, and family for formal unveiling events. Former curator Monkman described this practice as a statement of generosity from the current administration toward outgoing officials.
