Published 01:57 IST, May 20th 2020
Trump to abandon decades-long White House portrait ceremony with Obama: Report
US President Donald Trump to abandon the White House portrait ceremony with his predecessor Barack Obama amid the political row of their administrations.
The decades-long custom of unveiling official portrait of the immediate predecessor of a first-time US President to be assembled in the halls of White House might not take place this year. Further intensifying the spat between the former US President Barack Obama administration and the current Republican leader of the country, Donald Trump, this ritual will not take place between both leaders, reported NBC. For several years, the first-time White House owners whether Republicans or Democrats have followed the custom and kept aside their disputes.
While unveiling the official portrait of his predecessor George W Bush in 2012, Barack Obama had noted that ‘presidency transcends the differences’ that both leaders have politically. Trump’s administration has repeatedly mounted attacks on the Obama administration in issues ranging from Russian probe to policies introduced. The US President had even cited the legislation under Obama as one of the reasons behind slow rollout of testing for COVID-19 virus which has rocked the world since the beginning of 2020.
Trump had even called some decisions made by the Obama government as 'very detrimental' to the present situation of the health crisis. It is not a usual sight to have two US Presidents in the White House together, let alone the First Ladies of the country. However, the White House portrait unveiling is that rare occasion when all four get together under the same roof when a portrait of the former First Lady along with a portrait of former President is revealed to be placed in the walls of the White House.
Obama has ‘no interest’
Meanwhile, Trump is also known to ignore many customs that have been a part of the US presidency. Abandoning the unveiling of Barack and Michelle Obama’s official portraits is the latest one. Recently, Trump has even accused the Ex-US President of committing an unspecified crime. According to sources of an international media outlet, Obama has ‘no interest’ in the participation of the post-presidency rite as long as Donald Trump is in the White House.
The latest development in American politics apparently provides a broader view of the modern era that is accompanied by a bitter exchange of words. Presidential historian Michael Beschloss reportedly said the current Republican leader has been trying to put the former President in ‘legal jeopardy’. He noted that it is a situation that the US has not witnessed in history. Beschloss called it taking ‘apathy of a new president for a predecessor’ to a whole another level. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Obama, Katie Hill has reportedly declined to comment on the matter and so did the White House.
Updated 01:57 IST, May 20th 2020