Trump Picks Presidential Portraits Based on Frame Style \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump revealed that his redecorating choices for the White House Cabinet Room are based heavily on portrait frame styles, not just historical reverence. During a Cabinet meeting, Trump offered commentary on past presidents, highlighting those he admired—and their artwork’s aesthetics. His remarks blended art, history, and trademark Trump showmanship.
Quick Looks
- Trump personally selected portraits and drapes for the Cabinet Room.
- He admitted liking some portrait frames more than the paintings.
- Praised Andrew Jackson, Dwight Eisenhower, and William McKinley.
- Called past presidents who avoided tariffs “stupid.”
- Cabinet members support Trump’s idea to paint the room gold.
- Trump joked about taking decor from other departments.
- He misstated John Quincy Adams’ role in White House history.
- Trump’s art curation reflects political messaging and personal branding.
Deep Look
In a candid and often whimsical aside during a 90-minute Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump offered a detailed—and uniquely Trumpian—tour of the White House Cabinet Room’s art and decor, revealing how he selected presidential portraits for display. According to the president, the criteria weren’t always rooted in legacy or policy, but rather something far more tactile: the style and size of the frames.
“I’m a frame person,” Trump declared. “Sometimes I like frames more than I like the pictures.”
Trump explained that he had taken a personal hand in redecorating the Cabinet Room, choosing drapes, polling Cabinet members about repainting the room in gold leaf, and, most notably, handpicking the presidential portraits from “the vaults,” where historic artwork is stored. “I picked it all myself. I’m very proud of it,” he said, emphasizing that the refresh involved “a lot of time, effort,” and “very little money.”
He even recounted an unverified tale of entering Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s office and requesting that a grandfather clock be moved to the White House. “If I see anything I like in a department, I can take it,” Trump joked, to laughter from his Cabinet, though records don’t show a public visit to the State Department during Rubio’s tenure.
Trump then launched into a series of off-the-cuff reviews of various presidents whose portraits now hang in the room—blending reverence, revisionism, and occasional inaccuracy.
James K. Polk (1845–49):
Trump referred to Polk as “a real-estate guy” and credited him with giving the U.S. California. “He was a one-termer. But a very good president,” Trump said, before admitting the choice of Polk’s portrait was partly due to the frame matching Andrew Jackson’s: “He’s got the same frame that I needed, OK.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–61):
Calling him “very underrated,” Trump praised Eisenhower for building the Interstate Highway System and being “the toughest president on immigration” before Trump himself. He noted that during Ike’s presidency, immigration policies were so strict that “almost every farmer in California went bankrupt.” Despite this, Trump said Eisenhower “deserved a position somewhere on this floor.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–45):
Although “not a Republican,” Trump acknowledged Roosevelt’s historical weight and four-term presidency. He noted that ramps near the White House were originally installed due to FDR’s disability, saying, “He was an amazing man.”
Abraham Lincoln (1861–65):
Trump pointed out a portrait of Lincoln, claiming it once hung in the Lincoln Bedroom and calling it “his favorite picture of himself.” He referenced Clinton-era controversies: “You remember when Bill Clinton had it and he rented it out to people. We don’t do that.”
John Adams (1797–1801):
Referring to John and Abigail Adams as the White House’s first occupants in 1800, Trump made a historical misstep by confusing John Quincy Adams, their son and the sixth president, with his father. “They were the first occupants, so we have them looking at each other, and in between their stares is Abraham Lincoln trying to make peace,” Trump said.
William McKinley (1897–1901):
Trump praised McKinley as a “great president who never got credit” and mentioned restoring the name Mount McKinley after former President Barack Obama changed it to Denali. Trump also emphasized McKinley’s role in promoting tariffs—a theme Trump returns to often—saying, “He believed that other countries should pay for the privilege of coming into our country.”
Andrew Jackson (1829–37):
While not elaborating in depth this time, Trump again signaled his long-standing admiration for Jackson, who has frequently been the subject of praise from the president for his populist legacy.
The entire presentation showcased Trump’s fusion of personal branding, political messaging, and showman flair. The blend of historical references and design commentary reflects how Trump uses White House symbolism not only for aesthetics but for narrative control—rewriting history to suit present-day messaging and placing himself in a lineage of “strong” and “tough” presidents.
While some of his facts may be off—such as confusing which Adams lived in the White House first or attributing policies loosely—Trump’s redecoration effort clearly holds significance for him as a form of legacy curation. The frames, he suggested, tie it all together.
“It’s about how it all looks together,” he said. “And it’s going to look very good.”
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