White House returns Bush, Clinton portraits to prominent display after Trump admin hid them away: Report

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The official portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush returned to prominent display in the White House after both were relegated to a little-used area during the final months of Donald Trump’s presidency, according to a report Monday.

The portraits of Bush and Clinton were displayed in the White House’s Grand Foyer until last summer when they were removed in favor of other paintings. They were placed in the Old Family Dining Room, which is typically used to store extra chairs and tablecloths.

However, the portraits were clearly visible in the Grand Foyer in a video of a performance by the St. Augustine Gospel Choir at the White House in late February. White House officials confirmed the move.

"The portraits were returned to their traditional locations in the Cross Hall on Inauguration Day by the Office of the Curator," the White House said in a statement to the Daily Mail, which first reported the change.

White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision.

Portraits of recent presidents are traditionally displayed in high-traffic areas to be visible to the public. The Trump administration replaced the paintings of his recent predecessors with portraits of former President William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

Trump has frequently traded barbs with the Clinton and Bush families in recent years. He did not host his immediate predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for a portrait unveiling during his one term in office.

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It’s not clear if President Biden plans to host Trump for his own portrait unveiling in the coming months. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki addressed the situation at a press briefing last month, suggesting that Biden could indeed invite Trump.

"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,' Psaki said at the time.