The White House has suddenly removed the portraits of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush from their prominent positions in the grand entrance hall to a rarely used room where table clothes and other discarded things are kept, according to reports. Apparently, the two portraits were moved over the past week.
The portraits have been replaced by those of two republican presidents who had held the office over a century ago. There has been no response from The White House regarding the new development and the reason behind the sudden removal of the portraits is still unknown.
Replaced by Republican Presidents
The portraits of President Bush and Clinton, which occupied prominent positions at the Grand Foyer in the executive entrance of the White House, have been shifted to a rarely used Old Family Dining Room, according to a CNN report. The portraits were situated in a place where they were visible to visitors, as well as to the current President Donald Trump when he would alight the staircase to attend events on the State Floor of the White House.
The spots are now occupied by the portraits of two former Republican presidents — William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt — who served as presidents over 100 years ago. Sources told CNN that, the Old Family Dining Room is used as a storage room for unused linen and furniture and is out of the view of official guests. The portraits were last seen in the Grand Foyer on July 8, when Trump had hosted Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
What's the Secret?
It has been a culture of US Presidents to commission portraits of themselves, which dates back to the time of George Washington. Moreover, it has been a long-held tradition to display the portraits of those Presidents who were last in the Oval Office to be placed closest to the entranceway of their official home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue so that they could be viewed by everyone including official guests.
In fact, the insignificance of the Old Family Dining Room evidenced by its non-inclusion in any public tour of the residence. However, it can be ascertained that it was mainly because of Trump's dislike for the two former Presidents. He has been critical of Clinton on several occasions, and has called him a "bad president".
The removal of the portraits comes just a month after it was revealed that the portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will not be unveiled in the White House until Trump is in office.
