In a move that highlights persistent tensions between the current president and his predecessors, President Trump has relocated official portraits of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush to less visible spots in the White House. According to sources cited by CNN, the Obama portrait now hangs at the top of the Grand Staircase, an area restricted to the first family, Secret Service, and select staff—well out of sight for the thousands of visitors who tour the residence each day. The portraits of both Bushes have also been placed in the same out-of-the-way location, sources say.
Traditionally, recent presidents' portraits are displayed prominently in the White House entrance, visible during official events and public tours. The shift breaks with this long-held protocol and comes amid fresh hostilities between Trump and Obama, including Trump's recent accusations—denounced by Obama's office as "outrageous" and "bizarre"—that the former president and his team engaged in treason during the 2016 election. There's also a history of tension between Trump and the Bush family; George H.W. Bush once called Trump a "blowhard."
This is not the first time Trump has adjusted the White House's visual history; during his first term, he replaced portraits of Clinton and George W. Bush with those of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Meanwhile, a portrait of Joe Biden has yet to be completed.