১৭ জানুয়ারী, ২০২৫

To what extent does Trump's new official portrait look like his mugshot?

 Surely, the resemblance is intentional... but so are the differences:


The similarities include the framing of the picture. Notice how the side of the collar and lapel line up under the ear (the famous ear!) and how much of the top of the head is showing, with the chin down. There's a lack of symmetry in the eyes, and a distinctive arced wrinkle over his left eye.

But the mugshot face has garish color and harsh light and shade and a deep frown line on the left side of the mouth. The official portrait lighting puts the shadow where it is flattering and where it reveals the individuality and humanity of the face. By comparison, mugshot Trump seems cartoonish. It's almost as if the light were adjusted to create the look of a Hitler mustache. 

In both pictures Trump's right eye seems more active. It's more narrowly pinched than his left eye. It's the eye that's looking right into you. The portrait eye is gentler, wiser, and it influences my interpretation of the mugshot eye. Mugshot Trump is angry. And, oh!, those mugshot eyebrows. They overhang the eyes ominously. He's saying he will fight, fight, fight. Portrait Trump is more complex.

What do you see in him? Whatever it is, it includes his intent to make you think about the mugshot and all that it represents. His adversaries threw everything they could at him, and he fought back and triumphed. But he's not smiling. He's not the Trump in the 2017 portrait:


But who is he? Who is he, now that he's Trump 47?

১১১টি মন্তব্য:

mindnumbrobot বলেছেন...

Looks like a big F.U. to those who as tried to destroy, or even kill, him.

michaele বলেছেন...

Yes, his 2024 presidential portrait has him wearing his "I mean business" face and he's so much wiser about the rules of the game. The stupid political Dems of 2016 could have gotten so much out of him if they hadn't worked so hard to demonize and undermine him.

Rocco বলেছেন...

…and a distinctive arced wrinkle over his left eye.
So Trump is turning into Mr Spock when intrigued. Fascinating.

john mosby বলেছেন...

Reminds me of the Yousuf Karsh photo of Winston Churchill. He took away Winston's cigar to get that facial expression. Since Trump is going to put Winston's bust back in the Oval, I am certain he had this image in mind, if only subconsciously:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roaring_Lion

JSM

Enigma বলেছেন...

Both are conscious poses, and the darkness of the mugshot fits the context of a criminal accusation. It was appropriate then.

This is the most b*allsy official portrait ever. See Trump's interest in President Andrew Jackson. Contrast it with Obama emerging from a green hedge in the National Portrait Gallery in D.C.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_Barack_Obama_(painting)

Shouting Thomas বলেছেন...

I wondered over these past few years how Trump continued to persevere through the abuse and lawfare. I tried to understand, not just for Trump but for my own enlightenment. The answer, I think, is to be found in his youthful indoctrination in Norman Vincent Peale’s ministry. Peale’s wrote “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Trump grew up in Peale’s Marble Collegiate Church. He learned there to always envision a positive outcome, and to accept the negative as inevitable and not worth considering.

boatbuilder বলেছেন...

To me, the portrait says--I'm still THAT GUY. I haven't forgotten a thing. And I've thought a lot about what I'm going to do about it.

The blue tie says--It's not a Democrat or Republican thing. The flag says its all about America.

Kate বলেছেন...

The 2017 portrait is like a naive, excited child. It's a little sad to think of what's coming for that face, the disillusionment. Energy and intent won't be enough to get things done. The new portrait shows someone who no longer believes in Santa Claus.

Breezy বলেছেন...

After all he’s been through, he’s an emboldened man on a righteous mission.

Jamie বলেছেন...

Let me begin by saying I am not now comparing nor would ever compare Trump to Christ.

But the eye discussion made me think of this icon, Christ Pantocrator. The image of Christ in this icon has two distinctly different eyes, which one might chalk up to an artist's error, but it's not. If you cover half the face at a time, you can see that one eye looks kind and gentle - the Mercy Eye - and the other stern - the Judgment Eye. It's a wonderful effect.

Sally327 বলেছেন...

Which one's the mugshot?

Iman বলেছেন...

It must be quite a heady feeling to have defeated the legions that threw everything at him but the kitchen sink.

And it must taste like a real shit sammich to the Left and their lockstep media poodles. Those soulless corksoakers deserve much worse.

Mike (MJB Wolf) বলেছেন...

Trump appears to want the historical record to reflect the history. In that long line of presidential portraits his non-consecutive images provide a striking contrast and transmit how serious he is this time. Future visitors to the portrait gallery may stop and ponder the significance of the images. IMO his approach this time reflects that seriousness in choosing fighters to nominate and making clear statements of intent to signal to friends and foes alike that things are about to change.

wendybar বলেছেন...

It says he isn't going to be bogged down with Progressive corruption anymore.....and the hunted has now become the HUNTER.....Payback is going to be glorious, and he doesn't even have to make up hoaxes like THEY did.

Christopher B বলেছেন...

The one on the right. Red tie.

lamech বলেছেন...

On what denomination of currency will that official portrait image be added?

Jaq বলেছেন...

It's a different man. What Nietzsche said was true, what did not kill him made him stronger.

Money Manger বলেছেন...

C'mon Ann, hurry up and blog the Karni-Broadwater/Schumer piece in the Times today. "Deeply sourced", all but written and edited directly by Schumer. A breakthrough salient in stories revealing the endgame of the Biden presidency.

Captain BillieBob বলেছেন...

Who is he?
He is the guy you call when you need shit to get done, the same guy he has always been.

Howard বলেছেন...

Bringing attention to his ear I noticed that they stay pretty close to his head unlike say Alfred E Newman. That makes it even more remarkable that he survived the attempt.

tim maguire বলেছেন...

The portrait shows a lot more ear missing than I recall from earlier pictures. Otherwise, I see the same steely look, but set next to an American flag.

My name goes here. বলেছেন...

Yes, exactly. Twenty years from now when the first real histories are written about 2016 someone will point out that is the year the Democrat party killed itself. Had they fought Trump on policy and negotiated they would have gotten 40-50% of what they wanted and Trump would have caved on what they viewed as his most egregious positions.

tim maguire বলেছেন...

You must be new here if you think this will be well received.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne বলেছেন...

The portrait will be hanging in every government office for the next four years. It is a warning to any saboteurs that may have been left behind.

My name goes here. বলেছেন...

In 2028 President Vance should champion a $500 bill to be added to circulation. That presidental portrait should be what is on the bill.

Political Junkie বলেছেন...

His new photo is a "Man of action and fierce determination. A man who loves life, people, and the future".

With that said, STOP & GO READ on RealCearPolitics an article by Thomas P.M. Barnett, posted in Politico, about Grand Strategy and what/why DJT is serious about Greenland, Canada, & Panama Canal.

For background, Thomas P.M. Barnett wrote and spoke very persuasively about the "Axis of Exil" after 9/11. His ideas were implemented then, for better or worse. I speculate they will be implemented now.

Cheers!

RideSpaceMountain বলেছেন...

"What do you see in him?"

That vengeance is a dish best served cold.

Iman বলেছেন...

Jug-eared Obama is a better example, as he is real.

Or so I’ve been told.

Steven Wilson বলেছেন...

How much happier would the democrats currently be had they allowed the process to play out fairly in 2020. By which I mean allowing Bernie Sanders to get the nomination, lose decisively and so dispose of the more lunatic elements of the left. In this election cycle they could have faced a diminished Republican Party with perhaps a more sensible nominee such as Shapiro and very likely would have won as the Republican cycle would have been in its 8th year.

They chose to demonize Trump from day one and they failed to achieve a primary rule of politics--if you aim for the king you have to kill the king. I mean this figuratively, but it looks in retrospect their best chance were the literal attempts by two unhinged men.

I don't, by the way, think that the attempts were engineered by the democrats but I do think their rhetoric contributed to the unhinging.

Now they are facing a wiser, harder Trump who is more versed in the ways of the swamp and who has chosen more competent cabinet officers and who will understand how to work with his slim legislative majorities. I don't expect miracles, but I do hope for some sensible approaches to the problems that beset us.

Christopher B বলেছেন...

That's what you get when your party is taken over by the kids from the Mean Girls table.

Christopher B বলেছেন...

I haven't heard that name in a LONG time. I remember listening to him present his 'Core' and 'Gap' analysis of geopolitics on CSPAN.

narciso বলেছেন...

they wanted to tear down the country, trump was in the way, they bought off sanders again with the virtue signaling, they brought some of his people symone and kjp,

Money Manger বলেছেন...

@ Tim (and Ann) you are correct. Apologies. It is such an incredibly rich story, I got a bit over excited.

narciso বলেছেন...

they were competent at what they were trying to do, hamstring this country in a 1,000 different ways

Iman বলেছেন...

Along with Trump, something else won.

Along with Biden/Harris losing, some other things lost and lost big.

Christopher B বলেছেন...

Scott Johnson @ Powerline

From Mr. Johnson's summary, I'd say there isn't much new there, other than Schumer continuing to avoid the question of Biden's competence (which I think is mostly irrelevant to his reelection chances), and trying to make himself look like a king maker instead of Pelosi. The only real news out of that situation would be how the Democrat PTB wound up with Harris as the nominee. Did Biden or his team really author that tweet as a middle finger to the folks pushing him out? Did the Obama crew think they could drag her over the finish line? How many potential nominees turned down an offer to run?

narciso বলেছেন...

back then he was still trying to curry favor with the establishment, so he put tillerson and mattis the last he respected, others like price were bought off,

Narayanan বলেছেন...

Trunp OnMissionFromGod = portrait as BluesBrother ???

narciso বলেছেন...

liberal never admit they were wrong, about reagan they thought they were too soft, andrea mitchell and mark hertsgaard, always looking for a new angle like the october surprise, or gary webb's contra story, which has been made urban legend,

planetgeo বলেছেন...

Terminator II: "Come with me if you want to live." And we're all Sarah Connor now.

Enigma বলেছেন...

So, you think Trump will die during his term? Any new President would take office in January after the election (2029), and people must be dead to appear on US currency. This contrasts with the UK, which puts the current monarch on their bills.

https://www.thoughtco.com/faces-on-us-currency-4153995

Narayanan বলেছেন...

on next trillion bill

Saint Croix বলেছেন...

Mug shot: Orange man bad, and mad!

Official shot: Orange is gone! Bruce Banner

Lloyd W. Robertson বলেছেন...

No offense to anyone here, but it is unusual for someone in their late 70s to learn much of anything. Trump may be that rare person who learns. At any rate, he's better than Joe or Kamala, and there's always the sense of humor.

narciso বলেছেন...

Someone on PBS was still whining about ferdinand marcos, who for all his faults still stood in power longer than the merry go round that characterizes filipino politics,

FredSays বলেছেন...

It’s the, ‘You don’t want to fuck with me’ look.

RCOCEAN II বলেছেন...

I hope everytime Trump thinks about "reaching across the aisle" or being nice to GOPe, he reaches up and touches the top of his left ear and feels the missing bit. And also remembers being arrested and the FBI midnight, guns drawn, raid on his home.

I want him to be angry and stay angry. And remembers all the backstabbers from his first term. Stay angry, stay alert, stay smart.

Christopher B বলেছেন...

The Democrats are haunted by the 1970s-1980s electoral disasters resulting from nominating McGovern, Carter, Mondale, and Dukakis which ultimately cost them what looked like permanent Democrat control of Congress. They aren't going to let that happen again for a long time (which is not saying that it won't happen to them anyway)

mikee বলেছেন...

Trump's photo is one thing, an interesting thing to discuss. But I'm waiting. What will he announce at his inauguration? What will he sign on Day 1, 2, 3, ...100? What will he get through Congress? What will he do about US hostages of Hamas? What will he do about Iranian nuclear capability? What will he do about Xi's aspirations of empire in SE Asia? What will he do about Putin and Ukraine? Will he revitalize NATO again? And so on. This time around I don't care what anyone says about anything, what anyone thinks about anything. I want results, and I want them fast, and I want them for 4 full years.

rehajm বলেছেন...

That quote is from Finding Nemo innit?

mikee বলেছেন...

What on earth makes you think Bernie's loss would have left the Left out of power with the Dems? Taking a presidential campaign all the way to the day of voting, even losing, leaves all your operatives and activists in positions of power within the party, ready to try again. McGovern's loss didn't move the Dems from their leftward list, it accelerated it. So did Kerry's loss. So did Hillary's loss, and she is barely less leftist and authoritarian and totalitarian and horrible than Bernie anyway. Progs are good at one-way ratchets to the left.

Aggie বলেছেন...

The official portrait is saying: 'My Turn, now.'

Lucille Ballers বলেছেন...

Ha Ha Ha .... why on earth would you want your official portrait to look resemble your mugshot? This was certainly NOT done on purpose and if it was, it is even more ridiculous.

Jimmy বলেছেন...

Thanks for telling everyone you missed the point of not only the portrait, but Anns post about it.

tim maguire বলেছেন...

I've often thought that--if the Democrats hadn't played so dirty in 2020, it would be Trump, not Biden, about to ride off into the sunset. Instead we have a wiser more focused Trump for the next 4 years than we would have gotten the last 4.

In the long run, the Dem's pyrrhic victory in 2020 may be turn out to be a big win for the Reps.

Rusty বলেছেন...

No it's not.

Rusty বলেছেন...

That's one determined looking president. You get in his way at your own peril. As some people are soon to find out.

Peachy বলেছেন...

The only thing missing is the middle finger.
He can use ours. Normal America sez f u to the corrupt left.

tim maguire বলেছেন...

That might be a sensible response if you think Trump's "felony conviction" means what the Dems want it to mean. But it doesn't. The system was indicted and convicted. Not Trump. An the official portrait drives that point home.

narciso বলেছেন...

Actually he said what his priorities were, regarding energy and the border, now the minefield, (I think swamp is the wrong metaphor) will do it's best to stop him

Peachy বলেছেন...

I expect never is a mugshot flattering... under the old fluorescent lighting, in a dank room where actual criminals revolve thru the door.
Would it surprise any of us if the mug shot photo was made to look worse?

Peachy বলেছেন...

Agree with Tim here.

Peachy বলেছেন...

The blue tie says: "Many Dems voted for me, you losers."
Leftist self-absorbed oligarch '"fact-check/censorship' power-whores in the party of Schitt --pissed everyone off.

Eva Marie বলেছেন...

Those are portraits of us - us Trump voters anyway.
2016 - we were hopeful. We won against great odds. System needs fixing - but basically sound.
2024 - over broken glass to the polls. Clean the stables out, O great warrior.

whiskey বলেছেন...

It's not a smile, but I think there is every-so-little a bit of a smirk in the new portrait.

planetgeo বলেছেন...

"Chuck, when did you say you had your last prostate exam? Say hello to Dr. Patel."

Big Mike বলেছেন...

But who is he? Who is he, now that he's Trump 47?

He is the Old Testament prophet, come to purge the evildoers from among us.

Lucille Ballers বলেছেন...

Trump and his incompetent staff thought they were creating a portrait that made him look "tough" but everyone failed to realize that it resembled his mugshot.

Fandor বলেছেন...

The tactical guidance and moves, combined with the Trump bravado, against all the incoming Lawfare salvos has been brilliantly used. The democrat field is routed, disheartened and needs to be obliterated while they retreat along their self-made highway of death. It needs to be quick and efficient before they can even think of regrouping. Then, the work of making America great again can move full steam ahead.

Hassayamper বলেছেন...

Hear hear. Leave it to President Vance or DeSantis to begin the national reconciliation.

For this term, nothing but scorched-earth warfare on the Deep State and its cronies. Let it go into the history books as the most crippling damage ever inflicted on Big Government and the enemy scum who love it.

Peachy বলেছেন...

Lucille - No.

Peachy বলেছেন...

I hope Adam Schitt is sued for his lies.

Hassayamper বলেছেন...

You're delusional. Of course this is deliberate.

Trump would not have won without help from the unhinged, un-American, dangerously authoritarian lawfare inflicted on him by the Democrats and their co-conspirators in the so-called civil service. The more they used Third World banana republic tactics, the more the American public decided they were enemy invaders and not fellow Americans.

Americans hate unfairness and underhanded manipulation of government to benefit one political party and its cronies. The mugshot was a key milestone along the path to convincing Americans that their government is now their most dangerous enemy.

If the Democrats and our worthless "public servants" pull these stunts again, they will be completely destroyed and never return to power. Trump recapitulated the mugshot to remind the scheming, corrupt hired help in every single government office of that fact every day.

****

So, is "Lucille Ballers" a new tentacle for Rich, or someone even more detached from reality, like Vicki?

BarrySanders20 বলেছেন...

"Wiser" and smarter about the game was my first reaction too. Now that he knows what, how, and who, he will be able to achieve more this time.

Howard বলেছেন...

Google Obama Alfred E Newman images

Original Mike বলেছেন...
এই মন্তব্যটি লেখক দ্বারা সরানো হয়েছে।
Original Mike বলেছেন...

"So, is "Lucille Ballers" a new tentacle for Rich, or someone even more detached from reality, like Vicki?"

My money's on anti-de sitter space and his many sock puppets.

Third Coast বলেছেন...

Yes. His right eye kinda looks like he's winking at us.

Yancey Ward বলেছেন...

That portrait was intentionally meant to look like the mug shot- you can basically mark the beginning to Trump's ascent back to the Presidency on the day the mugshot was taken- it was the first time that I began to doubt my prediction that Trump would not be the nominee for the 2024 election.

The new portrait is saying, "You have now reached the 'Find Out' section of FAFO." I hope he has the will to see it through- at his age that is still in doubt.

Peachy বলেছেন...

It's an "outsider" photo.
Trump is not a for-life swamp politician like Schumer, McConnell and Pelosi.

jim বলেছেন...

Just the psycho we've been waiting for!

Christopher B বলেছেন...

@mikee ... because after twenty years of getting bashed on they rolled the dice with Bill Clinton even though I suspect the power brokers really thought Mario Cuomo was more electable and would have greased the skids for him if he hadn't done his Hamlet act. I don't necessarily think you are wrong, however. The mythology surrounding both W's victory in 2000 and Barak Obama is going to make it hard for the Democrats to admit they need to move towards the center until they lose twice to Vance.

Christopher বলেছেন...

I haven't had time to read all the replies so I don't know if already noted--but the official portrait of the president (and VP) are typically placed in federal offices. One federal building in particular that I'm aware of also has them placed in the main lobby.

Will be an interesting vibe!

mccullough বলেছেন...

The eye of the camera or eyes of the painter are about at the top of Trump’s head in both. Like we are about 5 inches above him. His neck is bent in both but his chin is level and eyes are up. Trump’s gaze displays no tenderness, amusement, or regret in either.

Earnest Prole বলেছেন...

His face illuminated in golden light from below, kinda like the light that shines from the briefcases in Pulp Fiction and Kiss Me Deadly.

Matt বলেছেন...

In 2017, his initial portrait looked like this, except lighter and the flag was more visible behind him. That was replaced a couple months later with one of him smiling.

After the lessons of his first term, I wouldn't count on a reoccurence of the smiling one.

Eva Marie বলেছেন...

God loves children and Donald Trump. Inauguration has been moved inside due to extreme weather conditions.

Political Junkie বলেছেন...

DJT likes 80's music. At the inaugural, he needs to walk out to, from 1981, Diana Ross's "It's My Turn".

veni vidi vici বলেছেন...

Mugshot Trump is scowling at the ridiculousness of the injustice.
Portrait Trump is relaxed determination; on the job, at your service, git 'er done.
None of the naive guileless smile of the first-term portrait is present, which is a good thing. He knows the nature of the swine who oppose him.

Mike (MJB Wolf) বলেছেন...

Forget currency for the moment, just delight in the fact that his portrait, THIS portrait, will be hanging in every government office. Every post office, IRS office, BLM office, everywhere those "I dissent" drones show up for work.

Hassayamper বলেছেন...

Or even the second coming of Chuck, although I don't think so. He writes better than this sophomoric clown.

Hassayamper বলেছেন...

This fucking government has become a corrupt late-Roman imperial court full of scheming eunuchs and oily, self-serving viziers and insubordinate, seditious generals. They need to be utterly smashed.

No other job is as important for the next four years as (metaphorically, at least) displaying several dozen decapitated heads from the get-Trump conspirators, and showing the rest of the lazy, overpaid government goldbrickers that they are lowly hired help and they will do as we fucking tell them or get the fuck off the public payroll.

Drago বলেছেন...

Not enough people are aware of this and understand how it helped to form the individual we see today.

Drago বলেছেন...

Well, "Progressive" and GOPe corruption.....

Drago বলেছেন...

"Google Obama Alfred E Newman images"

Obama as Alfred E. Neuman was a bit uncanny, but was completely overtaken as soon as butti-judge-judge was brought onto the scene.

Drago বলেছেন...

The current British monarch's are only dead on the inside....except for the lovely and talented Kate.

Drago বলেছেন...

Your time would be better spent helping to locate the 300,000+ children your team trafficked into the nation to be sex slaves and underage laborers.

You must be so proud.

Balfegor বলেছেন...

He's lit from below which is an unusual choice, not, I think, typically considered flattering. It's reminiscent of horror movie lighting. Trump probably chose it to troll all the civil servants who are going to have him glaring down at them in their government offices.

Former Illinois resident বলেছেন...

Presidential portrait subjects generally aren't grinning.

Jim at বলেছেন...

Trump and his incompetent staff thought they were creating a portrait that made him look "tough" but everyone failed to realize that it resembled his mugshot.

No. They knew exactly what they were doing. Just because you're clueless doesn't mean everybody else is, too.

Jim at বলেছেন...

Just the psycho we've been waiting for!

Maybe you should try shooting him again. That'll change his tune, right?

Robert Cook বলেছেন...

Not a good look: reality! It reveals too much the degree to which Trump is a fucking asshole, which is 100%

Robert Cook বলেছেন...

He learned there how to con the marks.

Mikey NTH বলেছেন...

"You tell 'em I'm coming, and Hell's coming with me!"

Lazarus বলেছেন...

There are the official portraits, painted and usually unveiled after the president has left office, and there are the official photograph portraits which are put up in government offices from the start of the president's term. The painted portraits usually the president in a thoughtful, pensive mood.

The portrait photos have featured smiling presidents, at least since Ford. It's a bit ambiguous, though: a president who's been in office long enough may have had more than one official photo portrait. Carter and Obama may have had more than one official photo -- one smiling, one not.

A presidential portrait that's in every federal office ought to make federal workers at least a little scared, and the new Trump photo does the job well.

mikee বলেছেন...

Tom Delay's mugshot was so good the Texas Dems had a hissy fit over it.

gadfly বলেছেন...

Sadly, Trump and I have the same droopy eye problem. My opthemologist tells me that a very simple surgery procedure will fix it.

Tina Trent বলেছেন...

Both pictures are more the same than different. He looks good for his age. Lots of expressiveness, energy, and intent.

john mosby বলেছেন...

In addition to civilian fedgov offices, the POTUS photo also goes in every military headquarters at every level, as part of the array of chain-of-command headshots so the men know who their leaders are. From the lowly captain, thru the generals, to the CinC. Trump's expression will definitely get a great reaction from the troops.

JSM

JAORE বলেছেন...


"But who is he? Who is he, now that he's Trump 47? "
He's a man that now knows the full extent of the job ahead.

walter বলেছেন...

#1 with a bullet.
Cookie, I worked the "People's March" today in Madison. You should have been there. Disjointed mix of grievances and clenched sphinters in motion. You might have had a shot with one of the Madison chapter "Raging Grannies". About 80% female march.