The photograph breaks with tradition and shows the president in dramatic lighting with a serious demeanor.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s new official portrait was revealed June 1 on White House social media accounts, showing him in a dark blue suit and red tie, with an intense gaze and serious expression, his face brightly lit against a black background, shadows, and a shallow depth of field.
“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,” a White House official told The Epoch Times by email.
In a shift from tradition over the past half-century, there is no American flag behind the president, but he does wear a Stars and Stripes lapel pin. Starting with Gerald Ford in the 1970s, every president’s portrait has included Old Glory behind the leader’s right shoulder.
The style of the new portrait is a return to the historical norm, dating back to the nation’s first president, George Washington, in the late 1700s, with the president’s face in focus against a plain backdrop.
Trump’s stern look and pursed lips also deviate from many recent portraits. President Richard Nixon was the first to show his teeth, smiling in his portrait as the 37th leader of the nation. With the exception of President Barack Obama, every other commander-in-chief since then chose to grin for the camera, including Trump in his first term.
Historically, presidential portraits serve as symbolic and functional artifacts and are often hung in government offices and embassies across the world. They generally reflect a combination of the nation’s mood and the leader’s personality. Trump’s steely contemplation appears to signify timeless gravitas.
Daniel Torok—official photographer for the White House—shot the new image of the president to replace the one that was released in January.
“The other photo was taken during the transition, and this was taken more recently, as 47,” the administration official said. “The old one was always meant to serve as a placeholder.”
Some likened the first portrait of Trump’s second term to his mug shot taken in August 2023 after he was indicted on racketeering and other charges.
Torok told other media outlets that he used studio lighting, including Profoto lights, for the first time to achieve the dramatic effect.
The new portrait joins a group of other iconic Trump images, including his first official portrait, which shows him smiling broadly, and the photograph taken moments after a bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July.
The official unveiling comes on the heels of decorative changes in the White House. Artwork depicting the moment the president raised his fist and shouted “fight, fight, fight” on the stage in Butler now hangs prominently on the first floor, replacing an image of Obama that was moved to another location.
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