Trump's Ego-Driven Presence At The DOJ Says It All About His Presidency

President Donald Trump has proven that his ego is much bigger than we thought on multiple occasions. The man lives to surprise people, and he sure had folks on their toes when he visited the Department of Justice (DOJ) in April 2025 and seemingly proved what his presidency is all about — himself. Trump was inside the building with Attorney General Pam Bondi, and she took a moment to show Trump that they'd already hung his portrait at the entrance. "Oh wow. He looks like such a nice person" Trump said, clearly pleased (via the Hindustan Times). He then turned to the reporters present, telling them, "That's a rough picture." The photograph appears to closely resemble Trump's mugshot from 2023, when he made history as the first president to be arrested after serving in office.

And he used his mugshot. Pathetic.

— CDN🇨🇦lady (@canadagal001) April 8, 2025

Bondi noted that Vice President JD Vance's portrait is yet to go up. Trump didn't seem much interested in this bit of information, saying nothing more, which isn't surprising; he would likely prefer his portrait to be the only one gracing the halls of the DOJ. MSNBC legal analyst Barb McQuade took to X to take a jab at the president, writing, "In prior administrations, the main entry hall at DOJ displayed the portraits of the POTUS, VPOTUS, and AG. Now?" Some users called Trump's portrait "creepy," while others thought it was fitting. "Works for me!" one commented. "And he used his mugshot. Pathetic," another added.

Remember that brutal meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump in March 2025? Many were left shocked that Trump seemed eager to align himself with Russia, and a certain timely portrait may or may not have had something to do with Trump's subsequent attitude towards Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been paying attention, and he sent Trump a gift — a painting of the president fist-bumping the air after surviving an assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania rally in 2024.

When Trump first received the painting in March, the administration didn't immediately share it with the public. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff told Tucker Carlson during a podcast interview that the president was "clearly touched by it" (via CNN). The artist, Nikas Safronov, told CNN that the Kremlin asked him to do the painting, with Putin even contacting him personally at one point to emphasize its importance in establishing an amicable relationship with the United States. Experts say the portrait was clearly designed to give Trump's ego a boost. Faculty lecturer at Sciences Po university in Paris, Viala-Gaudefroy, told France 24 the painting does exactly what Putin knows will please Trump, depicting him as "a 'super-American' protecting the country." Natasha Lindstaedt, a specialist in authoritarian regimes at the University of Essex in the UK, added that the painting reinforces "the close relationship between Putin and Trump and maintaining that bromance."

Trump's redecorating of the White House has been making headlines, especially when he removed former President Barack Obama's portrait to make space for one of himself, also showcasing his assassination attempt (the president seems to really love this theme). "It's clear who he puts first when it's a question of him or the American people," one pundit commented on X.