Take a Close Look at Trump’s Portrait

Judith Shulevitz dives into how the National Portrait Gallery removed key details from the caption beside the president’s photograph.

“First, the fact that Trump’s impeachments were censored, and nothing else at the National Portrait Gallery has been—that we know of—is a reminder that although the administration couches its assaults on American institutions as a campaign against ‘wokeness,’ what the president really cares about is his own reputation.”

“Second, Trump is a man who spends a lot of time shaping his image… When Trump swapped photographs in the National Portrait Gallery, he was sending a message. Decoding it provides some small insight into why he feels the need to look so angry—though I suspect we’ll never understand that completely.”