President Trump Turns Heads Over New ‘Controversial’ Decoration In The Oval Office

Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in February 2025.

A striking glimpse inside the White House reveals a surprising sight—Donald Trump’s infamous mug shot, boldly framed and displayed alongside portraits of America’s most revered presidents.

Donald Trump standing on a stage, Photo Credit: realdonaldtrump/Instagram

During a February 13 meeting between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a keen-eyed observer spotted a striking detail just outside the Oval Office. Framed in gold and prominently displayed, a cover of the New York Post featuring Trump’s mug shot sat alongside portraits of American icons like George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt—presidents who shaped the nation’s founding and steered it through war.

Once a symbol of scandal and political upheaval, the booking photo has been rebranded by Trump and his supporters as a badge of resilience. It marks a defining chapter in his political legacy. In 2023, Trump made history by becoming the first sitting or former U.S. president to have a mug shot taken, following his indictment in Georgia over alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Processed at Fulton County Jail alongside 18 allies, the moment that critics framed as disgrace has since been seized by Trump’s base as a rallying cry—and now, it hangs in the White House as a bold statement of survival and defiance.

President Donald Trump meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Whiteh House, Photo Credit: Inside Edition/Youtube

What was intended as a moment of political collapse became a defiant rallying point. Trump’s supporters turned the now-famous mug shot into a powerful emblem—plastered across merchandise, campaign ads, and social media. Far from shying away from the image, the Trump campaign embraced it as a symbol of grit and resistance. It became central to his 2024 branding, reinforcing a message that no legal battle could bring him down.

The Georgia indictment was only one of four cases Trump faced, including two federal prosecutions. In May 2024, he was convicted in New York on 34 felony counts tied to falsified business records. Yet even that historic verdict didn’t unfold as his critics anticipated. Just ten days before his second inauguration, a New York judge issued an “unconditional discharge,” sparing Trump from penalties and clearing the path for his return to power—an extraordinary turn in one of the most turbulent political journeys in American history.

President Donald Trump meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Whiteh House, Photo Credit: Mario Nawfal/X

Then, in a move that stunned even veteran political watchers, Trump shattered presidential tradition by incorporating his mug shot into his second official White House portrait. Departing from the polished, smiling images favored by his predecessors, Trump opted for a striking recreation of his booking photo. With a furrowed brow, steely gaze, and head angled downward in unmistakable defiance, the portrait delivered a message as bold as the man himself: he hadn’t been broken—he had been battle-hardened.

President Donald Trump's mug shot photo hanging on the wall, Photo Credit: Mario Nawfal/X

Now, with that same image hanging in the White House beside portraits of America’s most storied leaders, Trump’s place in history is cemented—controversial, unorthodox, and unmistakably his own.