White House Unveils Dramatic Trump Portrait — with a Bizarre Austin Powers Twist

By Staff, Agencies

The White House has debuted a new official portrait of Donald Trump, and while the stern image itself is grabbing attention, the rollout may have stolen the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

The portrait reveal was shared in a video on X [formerly Twitter], soundtracked by what appears to be a knock-off version of Soul Bossa Nova — famously used as the theme for Austin Powers.

The new portrait replaces an earlier inauguration version unveiled this year. In the updated image, Trump appears in a dramatic close-up, wearing a navy suit and red tie, cast in high contrast lighting and deep shadows. It’s a marked departure from more traditional presidential portraits, notably omitting the American flag in the background — a first since Richard Nixon’s 1969 portrait.

The social media video accompanying the reveal shows a White House staffer hanging the framed image while the bootleg Austin Powers-style music plays. The cinematic flair combined with the stern expression drew comparisons to Trump’s 2023 Georgia mug shot, which supporters had previously turned into a symbol of defiance and merchandise gold.

The prior Trump portrait featured more balanced lighting and an American flag backdrop, while his first-term image portrayed him smiling in front of a brightly lit flag. The new composition, lacking patriotic symbols and embracing a shadow-heavy aesthetic, continues to shift from tradition.

The portrait now hangs in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the West Wing. It has also replaced previous versions on both the White House website and Trump’s Facebook page.

Earlier this year, Trump publicly criticized a different portrait of himself at the Colorado Capitol, claiming it was intentionally distorted. Commissioned during his first term and displayed since 2019, the image was eventually removed following complaints from Republican lawmakers.

From bootleg soundtracks to mug shot vibes, the Trump administration’s latest portrait drop is anything but conventional — and once again, it's turning the presidential image into a cultural flashpoint.