Trump debuts a new White House portrait days after firing National Portrait Gallery director over DEI support.

New Image Released as Federal Display Begins

Nearly six months into his second term, President Donald Trump has unveiled a new official White House portrait. The image, showing Trump in a red tie and expressionless gaze, was shared Monday in an eight-second video posted to official channels. The portrait now hangs in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, with plans to distribute it across other federal facilities in the coming weeks.

The photograph was taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok and features Trump in a blue suit, white shirt, and a red tie, accented with an American flag pin. The tone and style mirror his previous portrait from earlier this term, which showed him wearing a blue tie and similarly displaying little expression. This update replaces that earlier image, which had itself marked the transition into his second term.

The release follows a sudden and controversial personnel change. On Friday, President Trump announced the dismissal of Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery. In a public statement, Trump cited Sajet’s political leanings and support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as grounds for termination.

“She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position,” Trump wrote, adding that a replacement would be announced shortly. He attributed the decision to recommendations from multiple sources and framed it as a necessary correction in leadership.

The administration also referenced Sajet’s political donations, totaling nearly $4,000 to Democratic figures, including presidential campaigns for Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, as well as contributions to other Democratic leaders. The White House highlighted that Sajet oversaw the curation of the National Portrait Gallery’s image of Trump, which includes a caption detailing his two impeachments, acquittals, and his nonconsecutive second-term victory.

The caption reads that Trump “was acquitted by the Senate in both trials” and that after losing the 2020 election to Biden, he “mounted a historic comeback in the 2024 election.” This narrative, under Sajet’s direction, is seen by the administration as emblematic of her bias.

While the new portrait is symbolic in nature, the circumstances surrounding its release emphasize a broader cultural and political shift under the Trump administration. The public unveiling signals a reassertion of control over presidential representation and institutional narratives. As the updated image begins appearing in federal offices, questions remain over who will lead the National Portrait Gallery next and how future curatorial decisions will be shaped by the administration’s directives.