WASHINGTON (CNN) – The official portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were removed from the Grand Foyer of the White House within the last week, aides told CNN, and replaced by those of two Republican presidents who served more than a century ago.
White House tradition calls for portraits of the most recent American presidents to be given the most prominent placement, in the entrance of the executive mansion, visible to guests during official events.
That was the case through at least July 8, when President Donald Trump welcomed Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The two stood in the Cross Hall of the White House and made remarks, with the portraits of Clinton and Bush essentially looking on as they had been throughout Trump’s first term.
But in the days after after that, the Clinton and Bush portraits were moved into the Old Family Dining Room, a small, rarely used room that is not seen by most visitors.
That places the paintings well outside of Trump’s vantage point in the White House. In their previous location, the pictures would have been seen daily as Trump descends the staircase from his third floor private residence or when he hosts events on the state floor of the White House. Now, they hang in a space used mainly for storing unused tablecloths and furniture.
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The portraits of Presidents Bill Clinton & George W. Bush were moved from the Grand Foyer within the last week & put in a room mainly used to store tablecloths & furniture. Amazing, amazing scoop by @jeffzeleny & @Kevinliptakcnn https://t.co/aUowetbY3k
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 17, 2020
I hope Biden puts Trump’s portrait in a closet somewhere to rot. The WH basement may be a fine choice. Trump’s portrait doesn’t deserve wall space at the WH.
My husband pointed out that apparently Trump feels differently about taking down statues of Confederate Generals than he does about taking down portraits of past presidents in the WH. Or maybe he just needed the wall space for his portraits of Putin and Kim.
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