Trump, Vance ‘official’ portraits released: ‘They go hard’
Photos via the Trump-Vance campaign.
WASHINGTON - The Trump-Vance campaign unveiled what it called "official" portraits of the president-elect and vice president-elect on Thursday, just days before their inaugurations.
While these are not the classic, official White House portraits, they will serve as the administration’s official photos for the transition period and perhaps beyond.
Photo via the Trump-Vance campaign.
What they're saying:
"They go hard," the campaign’s release said of the photos showing Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Photo via the Trump-Vance campaign.
What is an "official" portrait?
Dig deeper:
Presidents tend to have many portraits. In his first term, Trump’s official portrait was taken by White House chief photographer Shealah Craighead on October 6, 2017 – 10 months after he took office. That photo, which shows him smiling in the White House, is used by the Trump Presidential Library and official White House biography.
The Library of Congress features another portrait, one taken in December that shows him looking more serious.
President Trump's 2017 White House portrait.
Big picture view (literally):
Presidents also have the option to pose for an official painted portrait, an act that typically happens after their terms. Artists are commissioned by the White House Historical Association to paint portraits of presidents and first ladies, which are then added to the White House collection.
The backstory:
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter unveiled the official White House portraits of former President Gerald Ford and former First Lady Betty Ford in an East Room ceremony.
Carter himself asked not to have a ceremony, but most other presidents and first ladies have taken part in an unveiling ceremony several years after leaving office. These ceremonies are often congenial bipartisan events that include both the current president and his predecessor.
The most recent unveiling took place in 2022 when President Biden unveiled the portraits of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Trump inauguration
Donald Trump, already the 45th president, will be inaugurated as the 47th president on Monday, while JD Vance will be inaugurated as the 50th vice president.
Pre-inauguration events begin this weekend with various receptions and rallies along with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
RELATED: Trump Inauguration Day: Timeline of key inaugural events
The Source: Information from the White House Historical Association, the Library of Congress, and the Trump transition team was used in this report.