A striking new painting of President Donald Trump has taken the place of Barack Obama’s portrait in the Grand Foyer of the White House, depicting the president bloodied but unbroken, fist raised high following the attempted assassination during a campaign rally last year in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff, shared a post on X Friday showing side-by-side images of the previous Obama portrait and the new painting of Trump in the same location beneath the Grand Staircase. That same day, the White House posted a video to its X account capturing visitors passing by the Trump painting where the Obama portrait had previously been displayed.
Obama’s portrait, painted by Robert McCurdy, features him in a black suit and gray tie against a stark white backdrop. Though no longer in its original spot, it remains prominently displayed just opposite the Grand Foyer, according to Harrison Fields, the White House’s principal deputy press secretary, who shared the update in a post on X.
According to a White House official speaking to Newsmax on Friday evening, the painting of Trump was created by Marc Lipp and was presented to the White House by Andrew Pollack, through the Blue Gallery in Delray Beach, Florida, which represents the artist.
Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was one of the 17 students killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is known for his advocacy work in school safety and is also an author, as noted by the New York Post.
Lipp’s dramatic painting draws inspiration from powerful photographs captured by Evan Vucci of the Associated Press and Doug Mills of the New York Times. These images show Trump with a bloodied ear, his fist clenched and raised in defiance, surrounded by Secret Service personnel and with the American flag visible behind him.
The painting was officially installed on Friday, the White House confirmed. Obama’s portrait has now been relocated to the spot where George W. Bush’s once hung. Bush’s portrait will be repositioned near that of his father, George H.W. Bush, and will still be visible on the State Floor.
CNN has reported that official portraits of Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are currently being prepared for inclusion in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. The costs for the portraits are being covered by private contributions, including a $650,000 donation from the Save America PAC and an additional private gift that covers expenses like artist fees, transportation, framing, hanging, and any related events, according to spokesperson Concetta Duncan.
Additionally, the National Portrait Gallery already holds a 1989 photograph by Michael O’Brien of a smiling Trump dressed in a suit and playfully tossing a red apple.
{Matzav.com}