The White House unveiled a new portrait of President Trump this week, replacing the image taken in January that had drawn comparisons to a mugshot.
In the new photograph, announced by the White House on Monday via X, Trump stares directly into the camera. His right eye is slightly squinted and his mouth is pressed into a straight line. He is dressed in a blue suit with one of his signature red ties, and an American flag is pinned to his left lapel.
The backdrop is dark and blank.
The new photo contrasts the January depiction of the president, which showed the president seemingly lit from below – drawing comparisons to a camper with a flashlight under their chin telling ghost stories – and casting what could be perceived as a menacing stare at the lens. The red and white stripes of the American flag fill in behind his head.
"The first portrait done in January was done with something called up lighting — which is lighting from below — which isn't found in the natural world often," said Jeff Whetstone, director of the visual arts program at Princeton University.
"In the new portrait, the lighting is more natural but still dramatic. And it's lighting that shows one side of the face more than the other, so there's a duality there," Whetstone continued, comparing the style of photography to the famous 1941 portrait of U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as captured by Yousuf Karsh.
The January presidential portrait led to immediate comparisons with Trump's official mugshot, taken at Atlanta's Fulton County Jail when he turned himself in for allegedly attempting to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.
In that mugshot, Trump's eyebrows appear to be raised, and his eyes look upward to the camera as he glares into the shot.
In both of his recent official portraits, Trump has chosen not to smile, breaking with the longstanding tradition of presidents posing with smiles. This contrasts with the toothy grin he displayed in the 2017 portrait from his first term, where he wore a blue suit and a blue dotted tie.
Another notable difference is the absence of the American flag in the latest portrait. America's most iconic symbol has served as the backdrop for every president since the 1970s.
"The flag to the right hand of the president has been around since Gerald Ford," Whetstone said.
A White House official said that Trump's January portrait was never meant to be permanent.
"The old one was always meant to serve as a placeholder," the official said. "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, especially after a disastrous four years of the Biden administration."
Trump is famously aware of his public image.
Earlier this year, a Colorado artist faced Trump's ire and outrage over an oil painting commissioned by the state's Republican legislature.
Trump accused the artist, Sarah Boardman, of purposefully distorting his likeness, claiming that she had lost her touch with age.
Boardman said her business suffered as a result of the attack on her talents and motives.
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