Presidential portrait of Donald Trump

Donald Trump revealed his official photo at age 47 on Thursday.^e president of the United States. The photo, which bears a striking resemblance to his iconic photo, marks a clear break from tradition.

A familiar look

The resemblance between Trump’s presidential photo and his mugshot (” photo d’identification “) is not a coincidence, according to Simon Thibault, professor of political science at the University of Montreal. “In politics, nothing is left to chance,” he said. Trump and his strategists surely discussed the message to communicate with this official portrait that will go down in history. »

The forensic photo was taken in 2023, as part of the trial against Trump and his collaborators in Georgia, where he is accused of having interfered with the 2020 presidential elections, recalls Valérie Beaudoin, associate researcher at the Observatoire des UNITED STATES. of the Raoul-Dandurand Chair.

By referring to this image in his presidential portrait, the president-elect thumbs his nose at his adversaries, according to Valérie Beaudoin. “And he presents himself to his supporters as a Che Guevara of the MAGA movement, oppressed and falsely accused. »

According to Simon Thibault, the 47^e The President of the United States also presents himself as a rebel. “This portrait recalls the symbol he wants to embody: that of an outsider who challenges the establishment and wins,” he adds.

Break with tradition

This photo of Trump breaks with the tradition, initiated by Lyndon B. Johnson, which wants presidents to display a smile or half-smile on their official portrait, a sign of confidence and benevolence, underlines Simon Thibault.

However, “for the official portrait of his second presidential term, Trump does not smile,” notes the researcher. His gaze is severe, provocative. The message is clear. »

With his head tilted forward, his intense gaze and his serious expression, Trump resumes his image of “fighter who does not allow himself to be imposed,” says Olivier Turbide, professor of political communication at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).

The president-elect therefore stands out. “But it’s not surprising,” continues Olivier Turbide. Going against the grain even goes without saying for this president who has built his strategy around a marginal image since his first term, he adds.

One thing is certain, this image will go down in history, according to Olivier Turbide. “Like the ID photo, we imagine that it will become an iconic image, widely used on various derivative products intended for its supporters: mugs, caps, t-shirts, posters, and many others,” he adds.

Lighting that evokes fear

The low-angle lighting focused on Trump’s face is atypical, notes David Boily, head of the photo and video division of The press. “We generally avoid doing portraits in this type of lighting because it makes us feel like we’re telling camping fear stories,” he comments.

David Boily also notes the pronounced difference between the portrait of 47^e president and that of his vice-president, JD Vance. “For Vance, the light is normal and a little less dark in the face. That tells me they made custom lighting for Trump,” he says.

The photographer also notices a striking resemblance between the photo of Donald Trump and that of Roaring liona legendary portrait of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, taken in Ottawa in 1941. “It could very well be a coincidence,” he adds.

Note that the context in which Roaring lion was captured is very different from that of the Trump portrait. The image, taken by Canadian photographer Yousuf Kharsh, embodies British perseverance in the face of the German enemy, who was then gaining ground in Europe.

Note also that Churchill’s dark appearance in his portrait is attributed to the fact that the photographer confiscated the cigar he still had in his lips before taking the photo.