Donald Trump's and JD Vance's official portraits released

The official portraits of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have been released ahead of their inauguration on Monday. Both are wearing blue suits with white shirts and blue ties, and Trump sports a small American flag pin on his lapel.

Trump's expression contrasts with that of Vance. The President-elect's head is slightly tilted downward, with one eyebrow raised and his lips pressed together. Vance, on the other hand, is smiling with his arms crossed, appearing more relaxed. Trump's new portrait has drawn comparisons to his 2023 mugshot taken at the Fulton County Jail, when he was indicted for allegedly attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in Georgia, an accusation Trump denies.

That now-infamous mugshot was previously used by Trump for campaign fundraising. The Trump-Vance transition team stated in a press release that the portraits are "very powerful." The portrait Trump has chosen this time is markedly different from the one he used when he was first elected president in 2017. While he wore similar attire, in the previous portrait he was smiling broadly at the camera.

George Washington University political science professor Quardricos Driskell, in an interview with the BBC, said, "Trump may be embracing a defiant image, transforming a moment of legal adversity into a symbol of resilience and strength. The contrast with his earlier, more conventional portrait may also signal a shift in his public persona, emphasizing a tougher, more confrontational stance as he approaches his second inauguration."

These portraits were released by the Trump transition team days before Trump and Vance's January 20th inauguration. The official portraits of Trump and his former Vice President, Mike Pence, were released nine months after they were sworn into office.