‘Like the Man Baby He Is’: Trump’s ‘Deep Insecurity’ About Obama Surfaces Again As He Moves Official Portrait to Hidden Stairwell Out of View from Thousands of Visitors

President Donald Trump ordered the official White House portraits of former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush moved to an area of the building that thousands of visitors cannot access, according to a CNN report citing sources familiar with the decision.

Obama’s portrait was relocated to the top of the Grand Staircase, a spot leading to the private residence that is restricted to the First Family, Secret Service, and select staff. The Bush portraits were also moved to the same area. White House tradition places the most recent presidents’ portraits in a public entrance hall where visitors can see them.

The move comes amid heightened tensions between Trump and Obama, resulting in an unprecedented public rivalry between current and former presidents, with many jabs and fact checks exchanged over social media.

Last month, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard falsely accused Obama of a “years-long coup” against Trump, releasing declassified emails she claimed showed a “treasonous conspiracy” tied to the 2016 Russian election interference probe. Days later, Trump accused Obama of “treason.”

The portrait controversy lands amid the continuing firestorm over the unreleased Epstein files, which Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to disclose but then backtracked after learning Trump’s name appeared numerous times in the documents.

The Wall Street Journal has also reported that Trump once sent Jeffrey Epstein a 50th birthday greeting featuring a drawing of a naked woman. According to the outlet, the note was bound into a yearbook-style keepsake for Epstein, filled with messages from his closest friends and associates—adding another layer of seaminess to Trump’s long-assessed ties to Epstein

Trump vehemently denied the existence of the letter and filed a massive defamation suit against Journal owner Rupert Murdoch the next day.

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Since then, Trump’s name surfaced on a contributor’s list for the purported book, while at least one source claims to have a copy available to hand over to federal investigators if summoned.

Still, Trump continues to deny it’s him and has flooded the zone with all manner of distractions, including the false claim that Obama tried to overthrow his presidency. This is despite the fact that Obama very publicly accepted Trump’s victory and even welcomed Trump to the White House to honor the transition of power. 

Legal experts say Trump’s efforts to now paint Obama as a criminal are groundless. Any suggestion that Obama could be charged with treason, they say, holds no legal weight.

Still, Trump leaned into the tactic for weeks, reviving what critics call his signature style: using manufactured controversies to crowd out scandals of his own. 

Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush dismissed the accusations, saying the documents contain nothing that “undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.” He called the claims “bizarre,” “ridiculous” and “a weak attempt at distraction” from the Epstein files, which has Trump on the hot seat due to his past involvement with the convicted pedophile.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has since ordered a grand jury investigation into whether Obama officials fabricated intelligence on Russian interference to sabotage Trump’s presidency. Prosecutors cautioned that the move does not mean charges are imminent — and even if charges did emerge, a Supreme Court ruling last year granting presidents absolute immunity for official acts would shield Obama from prosecution, just like it did for Trump.

Critics did not take kindly to Trump’s decision to move Obama’s portrait. Many

Many calling out the president for his inability to hide his “jealousy” of Obama.

One user wroter, “Trump can move the portrait like the man baby he is, but he’ll never be as good as Obama or achieve what Obama has.”

Another added, “Trump had the Obama portrait in the WH moved to a hidden stairwell. You don’t have to be a mental health professional to see that Trump has a pathological fixation with Obama. This is because Trump is a malignant narcissist – deeply insecure, greatly craving respect and legitimacy. The kind Obama has. That he never will.”

In the past, Trump has also clashed with both Bush presidents. George H.W. Bush supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 and called Trump a “blowhard” in 2017. In 2021, Trump called George W. Bush a “failed and uninspiring” president.

And it wasn’t the first time Trump has rearranged the presidential portraits. During his first term, he moved paintings of Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. Obama’s current portrait, set against an all-white background, was replaced earlier this year with a Trump portrait depicting the aftermath of the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed Trump’s ear.

Although political rivalries are common between presidents, some have maintained warm ties after leaving office. Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush famously partnered for years on humanitarian and disaster relief efforts, traveling together and raising millions for causes worldwide. That tradition of camaraderie stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s chilly relations with his predecessors, now underscored by the removal of their portraits from public display.

The White House has not responded to requests for comment. Joe Biden’s official portrait has not yet been completed, but one can only imagine where it will go.