Donald Trump’s official inaugural portrait has been dubbed the “supervillain pic of the year,” and the MAGAverse is loving that it nods to his infamous mugshot.
With just days until he is sworn in, Trump and his team are putting the final touches on preparations for his second stint in office.
As part of that effort, the 78-year-old has been on modeling duty, echoing his infamous 2023 mugshot from Fulton County jail in Georgia. This, of course, is where he surrendered himself after being indicted on racketeering and related charges.
The Trump transition team had a brief message celebrating the release of the images: “Official Portraits Released — And They Go Hard.“ For the 2025 portrait, Trump once again deployed his go-to steely glare and furrowed brow. His chief photographer, Daniel Torok, offered a sneak peek at the portrait on X, before it spread like wildfire across social media.
“Trump went with the mugshot aesthetic for the new Presidential Portrait. Trump chose violence,” YouTuber Benny Johnson posted on Elon Musk’s social media site, comparing the two images. “President Trump’s new presidential portrait has been revealed. BADASS,” conservative political commentator Nick Sortor posted. “This goes HARD. Total mugshot vibes.”
“Love it!!” MAGA talking head Laura Loomer added. Over on Instagram, one person hailed the image as the “supervillain pic of the year,” while another person added: “That look mean it’s going down.”
And compared to his first presidential portrait, the difference is stark. Back in 2017, months after taking office for the first time, Trump smiled broadly for his official snap.
The New York Times likened his grinning face to that of a “smiley emoji.” By contrast, The Telegraph art writer Alex Diggins said the new portrait “is part-Churchill, part-low rent mobster.”
So-called “Gen Z activist” Harry Sisson wasn’t so impressed by the jovial reaction to the image. “Here’s Donald Trump’s official inaugural portrait. That’s the face of a convicted felon, a proven sexual abuser, a proven fraudster, and someone who doesn’t care about you at all,” he wrote on X.
