Donald Trump is as soon as once more displaying off his petty facet in his longstanding vendetta towards one among his predecessors.
Trump, 79, by no means misses an opportunity to take just a few 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 modifications and extra as a lingering rivalry.
The most recent second went viral after a right-wing influencer shared a glance contained in the Govt 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 making an attempt too arduous to share the highlight with somebody greater 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 Identical 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 seen the photograph had been moved from the White Home Grand Lobby and positioned excessive up within the nook, to the highest left of a purple staircase.
“Y’all should see what Trump has accomplished with the Obama portrait on the White Home,” Johnson, 38, mentioned 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 approach.
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 inside the GOP battle to reconcile electoral outcomes that don’t align with their expectations.
“Trump, like MAGA, is such a petulant baby; no surprise he’s at struggle with Iran ALL BY HIMSELF and killing American troopers for no cause. The Republican Celebration as a complete is nugatory, and Trump is their chief,” one Yahoo reader commented.
One other mentioned, “The GOP not sees who can’t settle for {that a} black president gained twice with wider margins than they ever might.”
Many piled on, calling Trump a “infantile individual,” whereas digging into Johnson’s sketchy habits.
“How petty and insecure do it’s a must 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 rest room within the basement.”
In one other try to 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 Govt 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 Govt 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 more moderen leaders, together with Barack Obama, seem indifferent—some even standing over symbolic parts just like the Structure—highlighting a distinction between struggling People and political management. Followers zoomed in and seen the picture on the desk had been modified — Obama was now not the point of interest, with Trump now positioned entrance and middle.
Some critics had been disgusted by the change.
“I can’t consider 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 arduous however now not have a voice: I’m your voice,” Trump mentioned 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 delicate 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 more durable for guests to see.
Sources additionally instructed CNN in August 2025 that Trump is “instantly concerned with practically every little thing” 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 had 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 the direction of any perceived adversaries, even fellow Republicans just like the Bushes, has been one among his calling playing cards since turning into the pinnacle of the MAGA motion over a decade in the past.
Nonetheless, his Democratic forerunner earlier than his first time period stays a daily 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 suppose the Hawaii-born Democrat fired again at Trump on the NBA All-Star Recreation on Feb. 15.
Eagle-eyed viewers seen Obama selected to not put on socks whereas sitting courtside together with his spouse, former first woman Michelle Obama, sparking hypothesis that the “Goals From My Father” creator was taking a discreet shot at Trump repeatedly being photographed with swollen ankles.
