White House moves Bill Clinton and George Bush’s portraits into a room where tablecloths stored

White House moves portraits of Bill Clinton and George Bush’s portraits from their prominent position in foyer to a room used for storage

  • The White House has moved official portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to a room where both Trump and visitors won’t see them 
  • The portraits were hanging in the Grand Foyer of the White House until last week
  • They have been moved to the Old Family Dining Room, a small, rarely used room
  • Tradition states the portraits of those who were most recently president are hung in the the most prominent place 
  • The portraits have been replaced by Republican presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, Republican presidents who served in 1897 and 1901

The White House has suddenly moved two portraits of President Donald Trump’s predecessors from their prominent positions in the entrance hall to the home.

Official portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were taken down and replaced in recent days.  

In the past, the pictures of the most recent occupiers of the residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have been given pride of place and hung in the Grand Foyer of the White House.

Official portrait of President George W. Bush

The White House has moved official portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to a room where both President Trump and any visitors won’t see them

A portrait of former U.S. President Bill Clinton is seen hanging in the Grand Foyer of the White House. Pictured here in December 2014

A portrait of former U.S. President Bill Clinton is seen hanging in the Grand Foyer of the White House. Pictured here in December 2014

The pictures were last seen during a news conference on July 8th when the Mexican president came to visit. Former President Bill Clinton's portrait can be seen here

The pictures were last seen during a news conference on July 8th when the Mexican president came to visit. Former President Bill Clinton’s portrait can be seen here

It is tradition for those who were last in the Oval Office to be placed closest to the entrance way to the home, within eyeshot of all those who visit, according to CNN.

The spots occupied by Bush and Clinton have been taken over by two portraits of Republican presidents who served more than 100 years.

The pair of presidential paintings has been moved to the Old Family Dining Room, a small room off the grand State Dining Room, that is used to store unused tablecloths and furniture.

The room is so insignificant, it was not part of any public tours of the residence that were given before the coronavirus pandemic struck.    

The portraits have now been moved to the Family Dining, seen circled, top left. The room is rarely used and is not tours of the White House. It has recently been used for storage

The portraits have now been moved to the Family Dining, seen circled, top left. The room is rarely used and is not tours of the White House. It has recently been used for storage

A long-held tradition has been observed for decades whereby the current residence of the White House honors their predecessor with an unveiling of their portrait. Pictured, Obama hosting former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush in 2012

A long-held tradition has been observed for decades whereby the current residence of the White House honors their predecessor with an unveiling of their portrait. Pictured, Obama hosting former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush in 2012

The portraits of Bush and Clinton were last seen earlier this month during a recent engagement when President Trump welcomed Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. 

At the two stood in the Cross Hall area of the home and made respective remarks the portraits could be seen looking on. 

The paintings would also have been visible to Trump each day as he walked down the staircase from his private residence. 

Bush’s portrait has been replaced by America’s 25th president, William McKinley, while the Clinton portrait has been replaced by Theodore Roosevelt who served after McKinley. 

In May it was revealed that Barack and Michelle Obama’s presidential and first lady portraits will not be unveiled and hung in the White House until Donald Trump is out of office.

The long-held tradition of current presidents attending the unveiling ceremony of the portraits of their predecessors and their wives during their first term will be skipped during this presidency due to a bitter feud between Trump and Obama.

Donald Trump

Barack Obama

Donald Trump and Barack Obama have no interest in participating in the long-held tradition of previous presidents returning to meet with the current president in a ceremony to unveil their presidential portraits

If Trump wins a second term in November, it means Obama may have to wait until 2025 to have his portrait revealed and displayed in the White House among every U.S. president before him.

The tradition of previous presidents returning to the White House to meet with their successor to unveil their portraits seems to span back to the 1970s 

Jimmy Carter welcomed Gerald Ford and his wife Betty back to the White House just four years after Carter had defeated Ford in his reelection bid for the first formal East Room ceremony in 1980.

And after George H. W. Bush lost reelection, Bill Clinton still hosted Bush in the East Room, saying ‘Welcome home.’

‘We may have our differences politically, but the presidency transcends those differences,’ Obama said when he hosted former President George W. Bush for his portrait unveiling in 2012.    

After George H. W. Bush lost his reelection bid, Bill Clinton hosted him and his wife in the East Room, saying 'Welcome home' at his portrait unveiling. Pictured in July, 1995

After George H. W. Bush lost his reelection bid, Bill Clinton hosted him and his wife in the East Room, saying ‘Welcome home’ at his portrait unveiling. Pictured in July, 1995



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