From bright flag to black backdrop: White House rolls out dramatic new portrait of Donald Trump

“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves,” Trump posted on Truth Social once.

The White House on Monday revealed an updated official portrait of President Donald Trump, presenting a noticeably darker and more dramatic tone than the version released ahead of his 2025 inauguration.

NEW OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL PORTRAIT JUST DROPPED pic.twitter.com/mmDIGRRJNi

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 2, 2025

The new portrait, taken by chief White House photographer Daniel Torok, shows Trump in his trademark red tie, framed against a stark black backdrop. In contrast to the earlier portrait, especially during his first term, where Trump smiled in front of an American flag wearing a blue tie.

The latest image opts for deeper shadows, tighter framing, and a more solemn expression.

The lighting in the updated photograph sharply focuses on Trump’s face, casting much of the background and his figure in shadow. The result is a moodier depiction, with visible bags under his eyes and a more serious demeanor, deviating from the traditional presidential aesthetic of brighter tones and patriotic symbols.

A White House official told CBS News that this new portrait will soon replace the previous version already displayed in federal buildings and government offices across the country. The updated image has also been published on the White House’s official website. A short video clip released Monday showed the portrait being installed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, though no formal explanation was given for the update.

Both portraits, the one from January and the new version, were shot by Torok.

The earlier photo, shared just before Trump’s inauguration, drew comparisons online to his widely circulated mugshot from his legal troubles in Georgia, where he was charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

In recent months, Trump has shown a keen interest in how he is visually represented. In April, he personally placed a portrait of himself between photos of former First Ladies Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton. Just weeks earlier, he had publicly criticised a painting of himself hanging in the Colorado state Capitol, calling it “unflattering.”

“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves,” Trump posted on Truth Social at the time.

The newly released portrait appears to reflect the president’s desire to project a more controlled and commanding image during a time of legal and political turbulence, while continuing to shape his public legacy on his own terms.