In a notable change, the White House has replaced a portrait of Barack Obama with a striking painting capturing the moment President Trump was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt.
On July 13 last year, Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The 20-year-old fired eight shots from a nearby building, injuring two people and fatally wounding one audience member.
A bullet also struck Trump’s right ear, with dramatic photos showing blood on the side of his face as Secret Service officers surrounded him. Crooks was killed by law enforcement at the scene.
Despite the close call, Trump was seen defiantly raising his right fist through a crowd of agents, his bloodied head held high against a backdrop of blue sky and a waving American flag. The photo quickly became an iconic image for the Republican leader.
An artistic rendition of this image, taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci, now occupies a prominent position in the Grand Foyer of the East Wing, according to White House officials.
This location is typically reserved for the most recent president’s painting. However, neither Trump nor his predecessor-turned-successor Joe Biden have unveiled official portraits since Barack Obama. Obama’s portrait by Robert McCurdy occupied the space until September 2022.
Trump’s new painting, created by Florida-based artist Mark Lipp, was gifted to him by Andrew Pollack, a GOP activist whose daughter was killed in the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, as reported by The Independent.
Pollack’s daughter, Meadow, was one of the 17 students who lost their lives in the Florida tragedy.
As for Obama’s photorealistic portrait, it has been relocated to the Entrance Hall of the White House State Floor, where it oversees former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Steinway grand piano.
Reactions to the new artwork have varied on Twitter. Some praised the painting as ‘epic’ and ‘iconic.’
“This brings a tear to my eye,” one user commented. “Some of the greatest art ever made by human hands.”
Another said: “That image will always be a part of American history. Knew it the moment it happened.”
However, the replacement has also drawn criticism. Political strategist and Biden supporter, Chris Jackson, tweeted: “So Trump ditched tradition, broke protocol, and took down Barack Obama’s portrait—just to hang his own. Straight-up tin pot dictator energy. Insecure and petty to the end.”
Others criticized the move as ‘cringe’ and ‘self-obsessed.’
“I don’t think I ever met someone so in love with himself,” another remarked.
According to The Independent, there may be a copyright issue if the photographer did not grant permission for the image to be reproduced.
The Associated Press has previously taken legal action for copyright disputes, such as the case involving Shepard Fairey’s ‘Hope’ campaign poster of Obama derived from a photo taken by an AP photographer.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to personalize the White House, adding touches like gold flourishes in the Oval Office and lining the West Wing with New York Post front pages that highlight his political return.