President Donald Trump’s second term is already filled with jaw-dropping moments, from his bonkers diplomatic maneuvers to the ascendance of billionaire Elon Musk within his inner circle. It’s all happening at such a break-neck pace that some equally surprising moments, like the speculation around whether Trump’s infamous mug shot is hanging in the White House, might fly under the radar, yet multiple news sources have nonetheless reported on this burgeoning story.
The speculation began mounting on Feb. 14, when outlets reported that a framed copy of Trump’s mug shot was spotted in the background of a meeting held with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. As the only U.S. president in history, either sitting or former, to receive a mug shot, it’s certainly plausible that the notorious image of Trump does, in fact, hang in the White House — and the veracity of the story was later proven by fact-checking resource, Snopes.
Donald Trump’s infamous mug shot hangs in a hallway near the Oval Office.
Trump’s mugshot displayed in the Oval Office.
This should tell you the type of energy that this Presidency has.
Grab your popcorn.
pic.twitter.com/ecjctXorEP
— Steve
(@SteveLovesAmmo) February 14, 2025
While it might defy belief, it has been confirmed that a framed version of Trump’s mug shot does indeed hang in the White House, on the wall of a hallway close to the Oval Office. The criminal booking photo can be seen in the background of images of Trump’s meeting with Modi, which was also attended by Musk and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. The version that is seen in the photographs is lifted from an issue of the New York Post in which Trump’s mug shot featured on the front cover.
It is set in an ornate golden frame and hangs close to other portraits of the Founding Fathers and former presidents. In the same photos, Trump’s mug shot was snapped alongside a painted portrait of President George Washington, as well as another framed portrait of the only president to serve more than two terms, Franklin Roosevelt. The images of Trump’s meeting with Modi began widely circulating on social media, with Snopes later confirming that Trump’s mug shot in the background was authentic.
The mug shot was taken in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2023.
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) February 14, 2025
As for the source of the original mug shot, Snopes confirmed it was the same photo taken of Trump in Fulton County jail in August of 2023. The mug shot was taken when Trump was indicted on 13 charges related to election interference in the 2020 presidential election. Following the indictment, which alleged the president worked to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results, Trump was processed at the Fulton County jail along with 18 of his political associates. The status of that case remains in limbo after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified from prosecuting and a new prosecutor has yet to be assigned.
It’s not the first time Trump has seemingly paid homage to his mug shot.
Trump turned his presidential portrait into a mugshot masterpiece—behold, the “Mona Lisa” of our times! pic.twitter.com/wkbVvqzB7v
—
Silent Silas
While surprising, Trump’s hanging of his mug shot in the White House marks the second time he has paid homage to the infamous image in recent memory. In January, many took to social media to take note of the striking resemblance of Trump’s official presidential portrait to his mug shot. Unlike his former presidential portrait, which saw him smiling like other former presidents, the second photo features Trump staring into the camera from a downward angle, with an unsmiling face and furrowed brows that instantly drew comparisons to the mug shot.
