The official portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, previously displayed in the entrance hall of the White House, where Donald Trump could see them daily, have been removed to be hung in an unused room in the presidential residence , CNN said Friday. According to the American chain, which quotes several witnesses, the predecessors of Donald Trump were replaced in their place of honor by two Republican presidents having been elected more than a century ago, William McKinley, assassinated in 1901, and Theodore Roosevelt, who succeeded him.
Read also: White House: this former adviser who overwhelms Donald Trump
At the White House, tradition has it that portraits of the most recent American presidents are the most visible for guests of official events. This was still the case on July 8 during the visit of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Since then, paintings representing Bill Clinton (Democrat, President from 1993 to 2001) and George W. Bush (Republican, President from 2001 to 2009) have been moved to a rarely used dining room, which is generally never attended by distinguished visitors.
Read also: Coronavirus circulates in the White House
Questioned by AFP, the White House did not react Friday evening. CNN notes that President Trump had the opportunity to see his two predecessors several times a day, when he got down from his private home or when he greeted his guests in the lobby. The portrait of Barack Obama, to whom Donald Trump succeeded in 2017 and whom he accused of all evils, including "crimes" , should not be revealed to the public during an official ceremony before the presidential election of November, a sign of the billionaire's esteem for him.
