Donald Trump's new official portrait looks like his arrest mug shot

updated his official presidential portrait just months after retaking office, leaving many wondering if he accidentally uploaded his arrest .

The new image, unveiled on the White House's social media channels, is a dramatic departure from the traditional smiling, statesmanlike portrait. Instead, Trump appears grim-faced, brow furrowed, and angled slightly downward in a pose that bears an uncanny resemblance to his 2023 booking photo from the Fulton County Jail. The only thing missing is the sheriff's watermark.

The updated portrait replaces the initial image released in January shortly before his second inauguration. That version - with a turquoise tie, gentle lighting, and the US flag in the background - was trying to soften Trump's image.

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In a rare move for any president, the convicted con has opted to revise his official portrait just months into his term, reportedly to appear even "less menacing."

However, instead of evoking warmth or renewed leadership, social media users said the updated version feels defiant. The turquoise tie has been replaced by his signature red power tie, which he wore when surrendering to police in Atlanta. The background has been replaced with solid black.

Trump's mug shot, taken on August 24, 2023, came after he surrendered to authorities in Georgia on racketeering charges tied to his efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results. He was processed as inmate number P01135809, wearing the same suit and red tie combo seen in the new portrait.

The image quickly went viral - not just as a legal record, but as a symbol among his base. His campaign printed it on T-shirts, coffee mugs, and posters, raising millions in the process. Whether intentional or not, Trump's decision to mirror the mugshot in his official photo may be a calculated play.

The former reality TV star known for micromanaging his image. Trump is acutely aware of optics, and the mug shot, far from hurting him, became a kind of badge of honour among his supporters.

Social media had a field day with the new portrait. "The only difference is lighting and Photoshop," one user joked. "Did he just pick the mug shot and run it through an filter?" asked another. Presidential portraits are typically updated once per term, if at all, often during re-election or the official launch of a second term.

Trump's four-month makeover is anything but standard. In April, Donald Trump made a bold decorative choice at the White House by hanging a dramatic portrait of himself between paintings of former First Ladies Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton — a placement as subtle as a marching band in a library. Just a month earlier, Trump had erupted over an "unflattering" portrait hung in the Colorado state Capitol, calling it a personal insult wrapped in oil paint.

"Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves," he grumbled on Truth Social, before launching into a trademark tirade. "The one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor… was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before," he fumed.

Within days, state legislators quietly removed the artwork.