The White House has unveiled a new portrait of President Donald Trump.
It will replace the official portrait released before his inauguration on January 20, which depicted him wearing a blue tie and scowling at the camera.
The new portrait, although more dramatic in appearance, retains the same feel, featuring a close-up image of Trump in darker lighting as he wears a red tie.
Highlights
- The White House unveiled a new official portrait of Donald Trump featuring a dramatic, close-up image with darker lighting and a red tie.
- The 2025 portrait contrasts sharply with Trump's 2017 image, showing a serious, moody expression against a black background rather than a bright, smiling pose.
- Experts noted the new portrait, revealed in a White House video on X, may be photoshopped, especially with alterations below Trump's chin.
A new portrait of Donald Trump has been released by the White House
Image credits: The White House
Trump gazes directly into the camera with a serious expression, set against a stark black background.
It is quite the contrast to his official presidential portrait during his first term, which shows him fresh-faced and broadly grinning at the camera.
In the 2017 image, the lighting is significantly brighter, and Trump is wearing a blue tie as he poses in front of the American flag.
There is a more relaxed quality to the tone of the portrait, unlike the moody demeanor in his 2025 image, which has been compared to his mugshot.
Image credits: White House Historical Association
After surrendering on criminal charges in Fulton County, Georgia, in 2023, Trump was required to take a booking photo—now said to hang in the White House.
The mugshot, the first ever of a U.S. president, shows Trump wearing a red tie as he projects a visibly irritated demeanor.
He was booked, processed, and released on a $200,000 bond.
The felony charges included racketeering, conspiracy, and making false statements—and were related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Trump pleaded not guilty and the case has never gone to trial.
Image credits: Fulton County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images
According to the Daily Mail, experts said the new portrait shows signs of being photoshopped, specifically changes below the president’s chin.
The image was unveiled in a video posted to the official White House X account with the caption: “New official Presidential portrait just dropped.”
It was accompanied by an American flag and fire emoji.
In the footage, the portrait is hung on a white wall as people are seen walking past before the video pans to a close-up.
Trump has already changed his X profile picture to the new official portrait, and the White House has updated its website.
Trump recently complained about another portrait of him in Colorado
The newly unveiled image comes after Trump complained about another portrait of him hanging at the Colorado State Capitol building.
Back in March, he publicly called for the image—painted by Sarah Boardman—to be removed, as he described it as “truly the worst.”
“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,” he posted on Truth Social.
“The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst.”
Image credits: Donald J Trump
“She must have lost her talent as she got older. In any event, I would much prefer not having a picture than having this one, but many people from Colorado have called and written to complain,” Trump added.
The portrait, which was commissioned by a Republican, was subsequently taken down.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also recently commissioned a Nikas Safronov portrait of Trump as a gift.
Safronov shared the image with CNN in April, which depicts Trump after his failed assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last year with blood running down his face.
In the portrait, Trump has his fist raised in front of the American flag, with the Statue of Liberty in the background.
Safronov said he was personally contacted by Putin, who said the portrait would go towards strengthening U.S.-Russia relations.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told conservative commentator Tucker Carlson: “President Putin had commissioned a beautiful portrait of President Trump from the leading Russian artist and actually gave it to me and asked me to take it home to President Trump.”