On Sunday night, “60 Minutes” aired an interview with President Donald Trump which was pre-recorded at the White House. Always seemingly eager to be offended over any little thing, the Democrats were livid when they spotted what was hanging in the background during Trump’s interview.
In an effort to make the White House’s West Wing less of a “dump” after Barack Obama’s presidency, President Donald Trump redecorated the Oval Office with gold drapes and gold-hued upholstery last year. And, lest anyone forget about his electoral accomplishments, a map of the results of his 2016 victory is hanging in the West Wing.
But, it is another addition to the White House’s decor which has everyone talking today: a painting, which was seen in the background of Trump’s interview with “60 Minutes.”
The painting, titled “The Republican Club,” shows Trump relaxing with presidents of the past. Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and both Bushes are also in the scene.
Of course, the Democrats and the mainstream media were appalled to see that Trump had hung this painting in the White House. The Daily Beast was particularly turned off by the painting, reporting:
President Trump’s latest addition to White House decor is a kitschy fantasy painting that shows him relaxing with Republican presidents of the past—an update to a best-selling image commonly found in tourist gift shops and online galleries.
The print, “The Republican Club” by Andy Thomas, could be seen in the background of a photo tweeted by 60 Minutes, which aired an interview with Trump on Sunday night.
It shows a slimmed-down Trump sandwiched between Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon, directly across from Abraham Lincoln. Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and both Bushes are also in the imaginary scene.
Amateur art critics sneered on social media that the artwork was “tacky,” “a travesty,” or “blasphemy.” Some said it looked like the political version of the famous “dogs playing poker” painting.
The painting is the latest in a well-known series by artist Andy Thomas that depicts past presidents from each party hanging out together. Thomas’ first, which was finished in 2008, included Republicans — minus Trump — playing poker. A subsequent portrait showed Democratic presidents playing pool.
The description of the painting on the artist’s website states, “Here you have an inside view of the Republican Club. They are all just having a casual talk around the table while other past greats are reminiscing in the back of the classic club.”
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), a fan of the artist’s work, gave the print to Trump, who later called Thomas to tell him just how much he likes it. “He had actually given me a real gracious call to tell me how much he liked it,” Thomas said of Trump. “He was very complimentary. He made a comment that he’d seen a lot of paintings of himself and he rarely liked them. You can’t imagine how happy that made me.”
Thomas said that as far as he knows, no other president has his artwork. But, Rep. Issa has both the Democratic and Republican prints hanging in his office and commissioned a portrait of himself from Thomas, who also paints cowboys. “He’s a really friendly guy and he said, ‘If I get a chance, I’m going to show this to Donald,'” said Thomas.
Why the Democrats have taken such issue with this painting in Trump’s White House is anyone’s guess. They seem to perpetually be in need of something to get offended by, so perhaps this is simply their latest target. Tomorrow, it will be onto the next thing.
