Donald Trump | Source: Getty Images
White House Unveils Donald Trump’s New Portrait, Reportedly Inspired by His Mugshot
The portrait was revealed on Monday in a clip posted on X. A former White House photographer has reacted to the image, noting extensive manipulation, with another expert revealing its reported inspiration.
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The White House unveiled President Donald Trump's new portrait on June 2, which now hangs in government buildings across the country.
A painting depicting the Associated Press photograph of the aftermath of the assassination attempt on then U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania hangs in the Entrance Hall of the White House on April 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. | Source: Getty Images
The clip shows a man hanging the photo in the White House as people pass by in a blur. "NEW OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL PORTRAIT JUST DROPPED," the caption reads.
In the image, Trump is wearing a blue suit with a red tie and an American flag pin on his lapel. He also wears a stern facial expression with one eyebrow cocked, and the dark background and dramatic lighting give the portrait a strikingly ominous appeal.
Former White House photographer Eric Draper shared his reaction to the portrait in an interview with the BBC. According to the publication, Draper said that his first impression of the image was that it had undergone heavy manipulation with studio lighting and retouching, following the shoot.
Social media also erupted with comparisons to Trump's mugshot, taken in Fulton County Jail in 2023 and publicized after he was charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 election. Trump has denied the charge.
A photo of U.S. President Donald Trump is displayed in the America's Presidents exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery on June 1, 2025, in Washington, DC. | Source: Getty Images
YouTuber Jared Polin also analyzed the president's new portrait and said he spoke with its photographer Daniel Torok. Polin asked if Torok had, in fact, taken inspiration from Donald Trump's mugshot.
"Yes he really loved The Apprentice style image that launched in 2017 the one that you said was the worst ever. So I wanted to take that idea and merge it with the wildly successful mug shot. What we got was a hybrid. But I also added little touches that some may notice or not," Polin quoted Torok saying. Torok has yet to confirm if this is true.
