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Once a dramatic feature of the White House entryway, the official portrait of former US President Barack Obama has been moved to a decidedly less prominent position, underscoring the yearslong tensions between the 44th and 47th presidents, CNN reported.
Portraits of other recent predecessors with whom US President Donald Trump has a contentious relationship, former President George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, have also been moved, according to CNN.
Trump directed staff to move the Obama portrait to the top of the Grand Staircase, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN, where it will now be out of view from thousands of visitors who tour the White House each day. One of the sources told CNN that the portraits of both Bushes are also now in the staircase area.
Multiple sources have said that the president is directly involved with nearly everything that is done to the aesthetic of the White House, big or small, according to CNN.
White House protocol and precedent calls for portraits of the most recent American presidents to be given the most prominent placement, in the entrance of the executive mansion, visible to guests during official events and visitors on tours.
A portrait of former President Joe Biden has not yet been completed.
The move comes as tensions between the Trump and Obama have escalated in recent months. Trump recently accused Obama and members of his administration of committing treason during the 2016 election, prompting a rare statement from his predecessor, whose office called the claims “outrageous,” “bizarre,” and “a weak attempt at distraction.”
Attorney general Pamela Bondi subsequently ordered prosecutors to begin a grand jury probe into allegations that top Obama administration officials manufactured intelligence about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.