Trump ditches official portrait likened to mugshot
Donald Trump has updated his official portrait just months after taking office, in an apparent bid to appear less menacing.
The new image, as displayed on the White House's social media channels, casts Trump in a warmer light and softens his expression from his first portrait in a break from presidential tradition.
The other changes in the picture include swapping out a turquoise tie for his favoured red power tie, and changing the background – the US flag in what appears to be a state room – to black.
It is uncommon for a US president to change their portrait so soon into their term, but Trump, a former reality TV star, is famously conscious of his appearance.
In his first portrait, published a few days before his inauguration in January, he appeared stony-faced, with his right eye narrowed and squinting, while his lips were pressed together tightly.
It drew comparisons to the mugshot released by authorities in Georgia after his arrest on racketeering charges in 2023.
The Republican is famously image-obsessed and reportedly practised how he would pose for the mugshot which was later released by Fulton County Sheriff's Office.
He subsequently claimed it was the 'number-one selling mugshot' in history which 'beat Elvis' and 'beat Frank Sintara', and later installed it on a wall in the Oval Office after winning the presidential election last year. He appears to have been less enamoured of his official portrait, however.
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