Once a prominent feature of the White House entrance, the official portrait of former President Barack Obama has been moved to a much less visible location at the request of Donald Trump, highlighting the tensions that have persisted for years between the 44th and 47th presidents.

Donald hides Barack. While White House protocol requires that portraits of recent US presidents be prominently displayed at the entrance to the presidential residence, the painting of Barack Obama has reportedly been moved at Donald Trump's request.

The current president of the United States has asked his staff to move Barack Obama's portrait to the top of the Grand Staircase, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. It will now be invisible to the thousands of visitors who visit the White House each day.

Portrait of Barack Obama replaced by painting of Donald Trump

US media outlet CNN has obtained a photo of Obama's portrait hanging at the top of the stairwell, in a corner on the landing of the presidential residence's entrance. This space is strictly reserved for members of the presidential family, US Secret Service agents, and a limited number of White House staff. Access is strictly prohibited to visitors wishing to admire the portrait of the former president, painted in oils on a white background by photorealist artist Robert McCurdy, a source close to the matter confirmed. One of them added that the portraits of both Presidents Bush are now also located in the same stairwell.

This is not the first time the painting of Barack Obama has been moved. In April, the portrait of the 44th US president was moved to the Grand Foyer of the White House and replaced with a brightly brushed painting by American pop artist Marc Lipp, depicting an iconic scene from an Evan Vucci photograph of Donald Trump surviving his assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania.

A symbol of tangible tensions

The move comes as tensions between the former and current presidents have escalated in recent months. Donald Trump recently accused Barack Obama and members of his administration of staging a "coup" during the 2016 election, prompting a rare statement from his predecessor, whose spokesman Patrick Rodenbush called the accusations "outrageous" and a "distraction" from the Epstein controversy.

President Donald Trump's attorney general, Pamela Bondi, then ordered prosecutors to open a grand jury investigation into allegations that senior Obama administration officials fabricated intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 election.

There have also been long-simmering tensions between Trump and the Bush family. Bush Sr., who died in 2018, called Trump a “braggart” in a biography and voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. George W. Bush, whom Trump called a “failed and uninspiring” president, and former first lady Laura Bush attended the president’s inauguration in 2025 but did not attend the post-ceremony luncheon.