Donald Trump is as soon as once more exhibiting off his petty facet in his longstanding vendetta towards one among his predecessors.
Trump, 79, by no means misses an opportunity to take a couple of not-so-subtle swings at former President Barack Obama, making gold and guady tweaks to the White Home that come throughout much less as routine adjustments and extra as a lingering rivalry.
The most recent second went viral after a right-wing influencer shared a glance contained in the Government Mansion, however that wasn’t the one eyebrow-raiser — in a separate transfer, Trump managed to squeezed himself into one among Obama’s most iconic moments — a transfer that felt much less like a tribute and extra like Trump attempting too laborious to share the highlight with somebody larger than him.
‘So Jealous of Him!’: Trump Is Thrown Off by a Reporter’s Query, Then Turns the Warmth on Barack Obama in a Approach That Has Followers Saying the Similar Factor
The MAGA chief’s newest jab at Obama, 64, went viral this week after Benny Johnson gave his 4.1 million X followers a digicam tour of the presidential residence.
Whereas there, he observed the photograph had been moved from the White Home Grand Lobby and positioned excessive up within the nook, to the highest left of a pink staircase.
“Y’all should see what Trump has finished with the Obama portrait on the White Home,” Johnson, 38, stated in a video posted on March 17, together with an eye-emoji and a clip of the portray hanging on the high of a stairwell.
He known as Trump’s relocation of the picture of Obama farther from public view “the funniest factor,” however not everybody on-line noticed it the identical means.
Trump has not addressed the transfer as of this writing, however Obama’s picture removing is being seen as an intentional snub, and one other act of his blatant jealousy.
“Nobody finds this humorous. Develop up,” somebody replied to Johnson’s gloating tweet. One other X consumer exclaimed, “Solely immature kids care about this dumb petty s–t. Develop up, loser.”
The backlash additionally displays a broader sample of political frustration, the place critics argue some throughout the GOP battle to reconcile electoral outcomes that don’t align with their expectations.
“Trump, like MAGA, is such a petulant youngster; no surprise he’s at battle with Iran ALL BY HIMSELF and killing American troopers for no cause. The Republican Social gathering as an entire is nugatory, and Trump is their chief,” one Yahoo reader commented.
One other stated, “The GOP not sees who can’t settle for {that a} black president gained twice with wider margins than they ever may.”
Many piled on, calling Trump a “infantile particular person,” whereas digging into Johnson’s sketchy conduct.
“How petty and insecure do you need to be to cover a presidential portrait. The one factor extra obnoxious is a YouTuber relishing and crowing about it,” declared one other Trump detractor.
One other particular person joked, “Wait till he sees the place Trump’s image goes after he has left – above the bathroom within the toilet within the basement.”
In one other try and show he’s simply nearly as good as Obama, Trump has employed artist Jon McNaughton so as to add his face and likeness to the 2011 portray in response to the Inexpensive Care Act (Obamacare).
“Jon McNaughton engaged on The Forgotten Man in The Eisenhower Government Workplace Constructing!” the president posted on Fact Social Thursday.
( @realDonaldTrump – Fact Social Submit )( Donald J. Trump – Mar 19 2026, 10:01 AM ET )
Jon McNaughton engaged on The Forgotten Man in The Eisenhower Government Workplace Constructing! pic.twitter.com/xpyD7stL1b
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) March 19, 2026
The portray depicts previous presidents gathered round a distressed man on a bench, whereas newer leaders, together with Barack Obama, seem indifferent—some even standing over symbolic components just like the Structure—highlighting a distinction between struggling Individuals and political management. Followers zoomed in and observed the picture on the desk had been modified — Obama was not the focus, with Trump now positioned entrance and middle.
Some critics have been disgusted by the change.
“I can’t imagine how far it’s gone.”
“That is incomprehensibly silly.”
“What? cant you see I’m busy right here watching this slave make artwork for our ballroom?”
It later gained renewed consideration in the course of the 2016 election, when figures like Sean Hannity tied it to the thought of the “forgotten man” serving to Trump win his first time period.
“The forgotten women and men of our nation — individuals who work laborious however not have a voice: I’m your voice,” Trump stated to a roaring crowd on the Republican Nationwide Conference.
Since returning to the Oval Workplace in January 2025, Trump has used the rearranging of portraits within the White Home to ship a refined message to Obama and his supporters about how the Republican president views his predecessor.
In April 2025, Obama’s portrait was changed in the primary entrance corridor with a portray of Trump defiantly elevating his fist in the course of the June 2024 try on his life in Pennsylvania, whereas he was nonetheless a presidential candidate.
4 months later, Trump reportedly directed his employees to maneuver the Robert McCurdy-painted Obama portrait to the highest of the Grand Staircase, making it tougher for guests to see.
Sources additionally informed CNN in August 2025 that Trump is “immediately concerned with almost all the pieces” that was modified in regards to the residence, together with the depiction of Obama being purposely pushed to a less-public space.
The forty fifth and forty seventh president not solely broke the custom of displaying the newest presidents’ portraits within the White Home public entrance corridor by shading the forty fourth president, however he additionally had portraits of the forty first and the forty third presidents moved as effectively.
Former President George H. W. Bush and his son, former President George W. Bush, obtained the relocation remedy when their work have been additionally positioned in an space restricted to the primary household, the Secret Service, and sure staffers, just like the Obama portrait.
Trump’s tendency to be spiteful in direction of any perceived adversaries, even fellow Republicans just like the Bushes, has been one among his calling playing cards since changing into the pinnacle of the MAGA motion over a decade in the past.
Nonetheless, his Democratic forerunner earlier than his first time period stays an everyday goal of Trump and his diehard devotees, as Obama appears to annoy the present POTUS greater than the opposite former presidents.
A few of Obama’s most loyal followers assume the Hawaii-born Democrat fired again at Trump on the NBA All-Star Sport on Feb. 15.
Eagle-eyed viewers observed Obama selected to not put on socks whereas sitting courtside along with his spouse, former first girl Michelle Obama, sparking hypothesis that the “Desires From My Father” creator was taking a discreet shot at Trump repeatedly being photographed with swollen ankles.
