Biden rehangs portraits of Bill Clinton and George W Bush moved to ‘small’ room by Trump

Paintings were said to have been removed from Grand Foyer of White House last July

President Joe Biden has reinstated the official presidential portraits of former Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton to their prominent place in the White House after they were moved during the Donald Trump administration, a report has said.

According to CNN, an official told the broadcaster that the two paintings have been rehung back on display in the Grand Foyer of the executive mansion from which they were moved in July 2020.

The Trump White House broke with tradition for the most recent American presidents to be given the most prominent placement, having them moved to the Old Family Dining Room last year, the broadcaster previously reported.

The former president had the portraits replaced by those of two Republican presidents who served more than a century ago sometime after 8 July, while reports said Mr W Bush and Mr Clinton took place in a small room that is not seen by most visitors.

Now, the portraits have reportedly been moved back to the Grand Foyer, they will be seen daily as Mr Biden descends the staircase from his third floor private residence, often looking over proceedings.

The White House did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment.

Mr Trump also parted with tradition last year after reports said that he did not invite his predecessor Barack Obama for a ceremony in the East Room for the unveiling of the official portrait in the White House.

According to a report in May by NBC News, people familiar with the matter told the broadcaster that Mr Obama also had no interest in participating in the post-presidency ceremony while Mr Trump was in power.

Mr Obama hosted his predecessor, George W Bush, during an unveiling ceremony in 2012, in which he said: “We may have our differences politically, but the presidency transcends those differences.”

In February, Mr Biden’s press secretary Jen Psaki said that Mr Biden did not intend to break with tradition in the hanging of portraits in the executive mansion.

“I have no portrait revealings or portrait plans or portrait events to preview for you.  But I have not been given any indication that we would break with tradition in that regard,” she said at a press conference 9 February.

The official portrait of former Mr Obama has yet to be unveiled, and it is unclear when it will be completed or when it will be hung.