President Donald Trump wants everything big, bright, and in Gold. He has never been one to shy away from spectacle. The bigger the better seems to be his motto.
His latest addition to the White House décor has once again put him at the center of the controversy. Recently, a new painting was unveiled inside the executive mansion. This painting depicts Trump standing stoically against a backdrop of roaring flames.
Where his supporters see it as a symbol of strength, critics argue it is a troubling reflection of his presidency but the general public finds it funny and tacky.
One must reflect upon Trump’s desire of seeing himself in these impossible and apparent ‘manly’ situations that showcase nothing but 70s vision of what a man should look like. This dramatic portrait was shared online by Trump ally Sebastian Gorka. It immediately drew attention for its theatrical imagery.
With flames engulfing the scene, Trump has been painted larger than life and is shown being untouched by the destruction behind him. Gorka has posted that this painting is one of several new works being installed in the White House and has teased that “more” were on the way.
One of the new Trump paintings at the White House is of him walking away while America burns. Can’t even make this sh*t up. pic.twitter.com/Dm2kLKRSVY
— Molly Ploofkins (@Mollyploofkins) August 20, 2025
Donald Trump is allegedly an egomaniac with a narcissistic personality. Another apparent evidence among the collection of growing self-centered images is enough to prove the allegation. There are several such art pieces filling the White House halls.
Earlier this year, there was a round of redecoration going on in the White House where all the traditional presidential portraits were replaced by Trump’s paintings. These paintings showcase the president in heroic or symbolic poses. One might even wonder if in the future we even find the AI-generated picture of Donald Trump as the Pope that he so candidly shared on his social media.
Trump posts photo of himself as the Pope
Where do you even begin with this? pic.twitter.com/U92lBHRybE
— Vision4theBlind (@Vision4theBlind) May 3, 2025
There is already a piece that depicts the president surviving the assassination attempt, and another shows him being surrounded by republican figures. One just wonders if these republican figures would approve of the president.
These artistic choices have started to make noise. The White House art is about history and statesmanship. But under the current administration, it has become a caricature of palaces of world-renowned dictators like Saddam Hussein.
New Whitehouse bathroom?
Nope, bathroom in Sadam Hussein’s palace. https://t.co/vkaGKrusbT pic.twitter.com/1wPHDOIRiI— 🇺🇸 John G 🇺🇸 (@JohnnyG0626) August 7, 2025
At this point, no one is more obsessed with Donald Trump than Trump himself.
“This isn’t about history—it’s about ego,” one historian remarked.
This new portrait is full of symbolism. Some might think that the flames evoke chaos and destruction. It then raises the question of whether the chaos unintentionally mirrors the divisiveness of Trump’s leadership.
Social media quickly seized on the image. There are many who find it disturbing that with the world burning behind him, Trump stands tall as if he caused havoc on the world and does not care at all.
“Is this a painting or a prophecy?” one viral post asked. Another user quipped, “So he sets everything on fire and walks away unscathed. Perfect metaphor.”
He leave it in ash before he’s done pic.twitter.com/sRi8aqFvMq
— CineCal (@cine_cal) August 20, 2025
Others pointed out the uncanny resemblance between the portrait and internet memes that have circulated for years portraying Trump as a comic-book-style antihero. Trump’s supporters have interpreted the flames differently. They find flames akin to his resilience and suggest that it shows a great leader who remains unshaken even where there is a global crisis.
Some have even gone further and brought religion into it, and again compared him to some messenger of god.
White House critics dismissed that interpretation. They are calling it a part of a broader attempt to rewrite Trump’s legacy through optics. They argue that such imagery reflects a self-promotional streak more commonly associated with authoritarian leaders than American presidents.
