President Donald Trump's White House recently introduced a new exhibit on the West Wing Colonnade, and it includes a not-so-subtle dig at former President Joe Biden. The jab at Biden has some journalists and political commentators groaning.
In a Wednesday post to her official X account, Trump communications advisor Margo Martin posted a video of the exhibit, which shows a line of 47 presidential portraits in sequential order. As the camera approached the portrait meant for Biden, an image of the autopen is shown, rather than Biden's face. Trump has repeatedly suggested that some of Biden's pardons weren't legitimate due to his use of the autopen, though Trump himself admitted to using the autopen himself earlier this year.
Wall Street Journal White House correspondent Annie Linskey further reported that an unnamed White House source confided to her that "the Biden portrait was Trump's idea." The reception on social media was mixed, with Trump supporters finding the display humorous while others lamented that Trump's stunt cheapened the office of the presidency. Progressive influencer JoJoFromJerz tweeted: "Grow the f--- up," while another X user described the exhibit as "nursery school behavior."
"[The display] has the distinction of being both tacky and dumb," tweeted Deadline executive editor Dominic Patten.
"This whole thing is tacky and stupid and you are all children running the most powerful government in the world," tweeted production professional Jordan Teller. "Get a f------ grip."
"This is from an official White House employee. Do you think this is funny? Do you think this is presidential? Do you think this is how our taxpayer dollars should be spent?" Former New York Democratic congressional candidate Josh Lafazan posted. "I don’t know what more people need to see from this administration to understand that the occupant of the White House does not deserve the honor of calling it home."
Watch the White House's video showing the exhibit below: