According to reports, President Donald Trump relocated a portrait of former President Barack Obama to a secret corridor within the White House. The Rose Garden has been renovated, and the Oval Office has several gold elements as part of the Republican leader’s ongoing redecoration of the White House. According to CNN, a painting of Obama by artist Robert McCurdy is being displayed at the top of a stairwell in a corner close to the private home, out of sight of guests.
Only members of the First family, Secret Service officers, and a select few White House employees are allowed entrance to the area. Other former presidents’ portraits, such as those of George H.W. and George W. Bush, have also been relocated.
Obama’s image was allegedly moved to the top of the Grand Staircase by Trump’s staff. There are also portraits of the Bushes nearby.
During the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt, the Obama image was originally relocated to a separate section of the Grand Foyer so that a painting of Trump could take its place. Obama’s portrait has been repositioned under Trump for the second time.
According to CNN, White House etiquette mandates that the pictures of the most recent presidents be displayed prominently in the building’s executive entryway. In this manner, visitors to events and those doing a tour of the White House can see them.
Apparently Donald Trump doesn’t want the public to see reminders of his immediate predecessors when they visit the White House.
Story: https://t.co/I5j6RyRZHW pic.twitter.com/5fY4dFR3IZ
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) August 10, 2025
The modification to the portrait did not amuse social media users. “Small men hide from history’s giants,” the press office of California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on X. User X wrote, “So utterly petty,” as well. The hyperrealistic style of McCurdy’s portraits is well-known. Among others, he has painted portraits of Neil Armstrong, Toni Morrison, and the Dalai Lama. The portrait of former President Joe Biden is still unfinished.
Trump had the Obama portrait in the WH moved to a hidden stairwell.
You don’t have to be a mental health professional to see that Trump has a pathological fixation with Obama.
This is because Trump is a malignant narcissist – deeply insecure, greatly craving respect…— The Shallow State (@OurShallowState) August 10, 2025
The portrait shift has caused some people to express their dismay. “Small men hide from history’s giants,” stated the governor’s press office on X. “So it’s fair game to take him down when Trump leaves?” one person remarked. Another remarked, “Turning a government house into a private palace is a lot of work.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has shown such petty behaviour towards the former President. A few weeks back, Trump had circulated AI-generated images of Obama, for which he was heavily trolled by the public. Obama, too, did not hold back this time and gave a harsh reply to Trump’s bizarre act.
