Trump once again continues to distinguish his reign as President by breaking a White House tradition and refusing to hold a ceremony for the unveiling of Barack Obama’s White House portrait.
A report published Tuesday morning stated that even if Trump had held the ceremony, Obama would not be interested in attending.
Obama held a ceremony for the unveiling of predecessor George Bush’s portrait back in 2012 at the White House and the tradition has been recognized by both parties for over 40 years now. This marks the first time since the start of the tradition a president has refused to unveil a portrait. Ceremonies for the unveiling of the preceding president's portrait has been a White House tradition since 1978, when President Jimmy Carter invited President Gerald Ford back to celebrate the uncovering of his painting.
Trump and Obama have a notoriously tense relationship, perhaps the tensest of any presidents in US history. Back when Trump was just a socialite, he pushed racist conspiracies regarding Obama’s true place of birth. Trump has even tried to blame the former President for issues with COVID-19 testing.
Neither the White House or Obama has commented on the situation, but the President did share his unorthodox method for coronavirus prevention this past Monday.