'Out of view': Trump demands Obama portrait be moved to hidden stairwell
President Donald Trump has ordered the official White House portrait of former President Barack Obama to be relocated once again — this time to a "hidden" staircase out of view of visitors.
CNN reported on Sunday that Obama's portrait was moved to the Grand Staircase, along with the portraits of former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
"Multiple sources have said that the president is directly involved with nearly everything that is done to the aesthetic of the White House, big or small," CNN noted. "That area is heavily restricted to members of the first family, US Secret Service agents, and a limited number of White House and executive residence staff. It is firmly out of view for any visitor hoping to see the photorealistic Robert McCurdy painting of the former president, a source familiar with the matter confirmed."
The moves were made despite White House protocol, which calls for the portraits of recent presidents to be prominently displayed.
Earlier this year, White House staffers replaced Obama's official portrait with a painting of Trump in the aftermath of an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. At the time, the painting of Obama was relocated to the Grand Foyer, according to reports.