A new official portrait for President-elect Donald Trump’s second term has arrived, just days before his inauguration — and body language experts said the image conveys quite a lot.
On Thursday, Trump’s website posted his portrait, as well as a portrait of Vice President-elect JD Vance, with the headline: “Official Portraits Released — And They Go Hard????” People swiftly took to social media shortly after to remark on how his noticeably stern expression in the new photo looked, among other things, awfully similar to his mug shot.
Some commenters on X, formerly Twitter, thought the photo did not look presidential, that Trump appeared “angry” and “insecure,” and that he seemed as though he was trying to exude toughness or “masculine energy” — a concept that became a large theme of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Many of his supporters described the photo as “badass” and “powerful.”
When asked to interpret Trump’s expression, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The New York Times: “America. Is. Back.”
The last time Trump made headlines for displaying such a grim look was after he turned himself in at the Fulton County jail in 2023 on charges related to efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. It marked the first time a mug shot was taken of a U.S. president. Now, his new portrait looks eerily similar.
Body language experts think Trump’s new portrait, his mug shot and his 2017 presidential portrait, all together, could reveal something about his current frame of mind and how it’s possibly shifted over the years. Read on to hear their takeaways:
What does Trump’s 2025 portrait convey?
Mark Bowden, body language expert and author, said that he believes Trump’s new photo “carries an air of defiance and control.”
“Trump’s expression, with the downward tilt of his chin and forehead and the knitted eyebrows, conveys a sense of aggression and focus,” he told HuffPost. “There’s a notable asymmetry in his face — one eye slightly more closed than the other — which gives the impression of intense targeting or scrutiny, as if he’s locking onto a subject.”
While analyzing the entire setting of the portrait, Bowden said that the stripes of the American flag positioned behind the president-elect seemed to be pointed toward Trump’s frown lines, “reinforcing a sense of determination and authority.”
He also noted that the lighting, and how it reflected off Trump’s hair, presented a “halo-like glow” which “contrasts with his asymmetrical and confrontational expression.”
“This blend of aggression and symbolic ‘light’ projects both power and intimidation, depending on how one interprets it,” he said.
Janine Driver, author and CEO of the Body Language Institute, told HuffPost that she thinks Trump’s 2025 photo shows a “calculated shift in presentation.”
“His expression, featuring a stern gaze and furrowed brow, conveys authority and determination,” she said. “The absence of a smile signals seriousness, perhaps an effort to project strength.”
Driver explained that in body language terms, direct gazes with a “neutral or stern” expression are often interpreted as confidence or dominance. Trump’s “slightly tilted chin and firm set of his jaw” could reinforce a “tough guy” image, she said.
“Psychologically, these traits can indicate someone positioning themselves as unyielding and focused, a shift from the more congenial vibe of earlier portraits,” she said.
How does Trump’s new portrait compare to his 2023 mug shot?
Driver thinks Trump’s new official portrait and his 2023 mug shot have “striking similarities.”
“Both feature a piercing stare, tight lips, and a furrowed brow, signaling defiance and confidence,” she said.
But Driver thinks there are some differences between the two images. Trump’s gaze in his mug shot read as “confrontational,” whereas she sees his new portrait as more refined and “less reactive and more deliberate.”
Bowden thinks his new portrait “echoes the defiance” shown in his mug shot but the overall setting of his new photo works to transform the narrative.
“It’s as if the portrait satirizes or reclaims the narrative of the mug shot, turning it into a statement of power and control,” he said.
What’s significant about the differences between his new portrait and his 2017 photo?
Bowden said there is a “significant shift in tone” in his new portrait, and while his 2017 photo exhibited “composure, formality and approachability,” the new photo “feels far more assertive and confrontational.”
“The 2017 portrait seemed to lean into projecting traditional presidential decorum and approachability, while the 2025 portrait appears crafted to embody strength, defiance, and a direct challenge to the viewer,” he said.
Driver said that Trump’s new photo, compared to his 2017 portrait, “has done away with any hint of levity.”
She said that the significant shift suggests a “strategic rebranding” and that it could be “an intentional move to prioritize authority over relatability.”
What might this shift in expression shown in his 2025 portrait reveal?
Bowden said that the shift in portraits suggests a “deliberate attempt to project defiance, control and power,” and that his expression and “intense” gaze indicates a “readiness to confront and dominate.”
“The downward tilt of his head adds to the impression of focused determination, as if he’s looking at a specific adversary or target,” he said.
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He added, “This portrait seems to reveal a mindset of defiance and a need to assert authority, framing Trump as someone who positions himself as both protector and aggressor, depending on the viewer’s perspective.”
“From a psychological perspective, this portrait seems to communicate: ‘I’ve learned, I’ve adapted, and I’m ready for whatever comes next,’” Driver said.
She added, “Whether one admires or critiques him, it’s hard to deny the intentionality behind every element of this new portrayal,” she said.