When President Donald Trump’s new official portrait was unveiled Monday, it lacked two elements his predecessors had featured in their photographs dating back more than 50 years: a happy expression and an American flag in the background.
The picture, which replaced an earlier portrait released around Trump’s inauguration in January, shows the president against a dark backdrop with part of his face obscured by shadow.
The portrait is being hung in federal buildings, and it now appears on the White House website.
A White House official said Trump’s initial portrait was taken during the transition period and was always intended as a placeholder. The new image was captured more recently.
“The President is the most well-known person on the planet and this new portrait taken during his second term reflects the optimism and resolve of America, especially after a disastrous four years of the Biden administration,” the official said.
In the portrait, Trump wears a red tie and an unsmiling expression. While he is wearing a prominent American flag pin on his lapel, there is nothing visible behind him.
The visual makes for a stark difference from other presidents over the past 60 years. The last president to opt for a neutral background was Richard Nixon, who appeared against a plain backdrop in 1969, as did most of the men who preceded him.
A string of presidents after him — Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden — all featured an American flag over their right shoulders. Some also included a flag with the presidential seal.
All smiled for the camera, most with teeth, save for Obama, who appeared to smile with lips closed.
Trump’s portrait from his first term kept with that practice. He stood in front of a flag, wearing a broad smile.
In January, Trump released a new portrait, with a glowering expression that bore some resemblance to the mug shot he took in Georgia in 2023 after being indicted on racketeering and related charges. The background of that earlier portrait featured a corner of an American flag.
The new portrait eliminates any background, making for a dramatic contrast with Trump’s face. He is lit from the left, casting his right cheek, ear and shoulder into shadow. While his face and hair are in sharp focus, his shirt and tie are blurry.
While there is no flag in the background, his flag pin is made prominent by glinting light.
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