Trump's Official Presidential Portrait Released - It's Starkly Different from His First One
Some supporters of President-elect Donald Trump on the social media platform X have a preferred mantra. “Nothing can stop what is coming,” they often write.
Leave it to the president-elect himself to distill that mantra into yet another iconic image.
On Wednesday, Trump’s official inaugural portrait began circulating on X, and social media users noticed a dramatic difference between Trump’s determined look in this new portrait and his more cheerful expression in a similar portrait taken before he entered office for the first time eight years ago.
Daniel Torok, the president-elect’s chief photographer, shared a 25-second clip of the portrait’s reveal on X.
The clip also featured Vice President-elect J.D. Vance’s official portrait.
First look at 47’s official inaugural portrait! 😍@TeamTrump pic.twitter.com/7m6otmDQJw
— Daniel Torok (@dto_rok) January 15, 2025
On Thursday, Trump’s team sent an email that featured clear, color images of both portraits.
The 40-year-old Vance posed with a slight smile, mouth closed, arms folded, and eyes fixed straight ahead. With that pose, the vice president-elect conveyed both command and optimism.
Trump, on the other hand, appeared stone-faced and resolute, his head tilted slightly downward and to the left. His right eye partially squinting, he also looked straight ahead.
Vance’s portrait showed the vice president-elect from his head to nearly his waist, thereby highlighting his folded arms, but Trump’s portrait went no lower than the president-elect’s chest.
Thus, X users instantly drew multiple comparisons.
For one thing, Trump’s resolute look in 2025 contrasted with the naively cheerful smile he flashed in 2017.
Trump’s inaugural portraits.
45 vs 47. pic.twitter.com/ELvWN3E6R5
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) January 16, 2025
“Hits hard! Looks like he has learned a bit about the swamp …Gametime face activated!!!” one X user wrote.
Hits hard! Looks like he has learned a bit about the swamp…Gametime face activated!!!
— RubyTubee (@rubytubee) January 16, 2025
Likewise, other X users noted the similarity between Trump’s inaugural portrait and his 2023 mugshot.
This man is playing 5D chess. Imagine down the line in History books when simultaneously while teaching about president Trump and seeing his mugshot and inaugural portrait. Same photo. Vengeance. Justice. pic.twitter.com/d3DayC3p90
— ChillinDylan (@ChillinDylanXIV) January 16, 2025
— Graham (@GrahamHilll) January 16, 2025
Indeed, the portrait seemed calculated to convey that mantra: “Nothing can stop what is coming.”
NOTHING CAN STOP WHAT’S COMING!!!🇺🇸🥳🥳🥳 pic.twitter.com/Xf6m1D2I8Q
— il Donaldo Trumpo (@PapiTrumpo) September 11, 2024
This next piece is called- Nothing can stop what is coming pic.twitter.com/f3gUmLbfAy
— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) December 13, 2024
Most people still have no idea just how desperate they are to keep the Ukraine secrets secret.
They are still desperate to keep the lid on, but unfortunately…
NOTHING CAN STOP WHAT IS COMING…. https://t.co/CrFGxrUV57
— Brian Cates – Political Columnist & Pundit (@drawandstrike) November 13, 2024
Of course, the side-by-side portraits from 2017 and 2025 told the story of Trump’s years-long ordeal. His enemies tried to destroy him through lawfare and violence. They failed.
Trump undoubtedly had those enemies in mind when he made sure that his inaugural portrait mimicked his mugshot.
Above all, however, he almost certainly meant that portrait not as a story, but as a promise. “Justice is coming,” he said with that pose, and nothing can stop it.
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