Trump and Melania make their debuts in the National Portrait Gallery: President poses behind the Resolute Desk opposite John Lewis and behind Obama

U.K. Daily Mail ^ | 5/18/2021 | Katelyn Caralle

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Donald and Melania Trump joined the ranks of past presidents and first ladies when their portraits were placed in the National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C.

The museum reopened on Friday for visitors where Trump's portrait was found in the presidential portraits exhibit on the opposite side of a freestanding wall where former President Barack Obama's famous 'Hope' poster is hanging.

Trump's image was quietly put up while the gallery was closed due to pandemic restrictions.

The picture has a caption noting that Trump was elected 'after tapping into populist American sentiment' as he 'put forth an 'America First' agenda'. It also mentions his two impeachments and says the coronavirus pandemic 'became a key issue during his re-election campaign'.

The current portrait hanging in the museum is actually a photograph of the former president scowling behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, which was taken by Pari Dukovic for Time magazine in June 2019 – the day before he announced he was running for reelection.

The photograph will likely be switched out with a formal portrait in the next year.

Smithsonian Institution spokesperson Brendan Kelly told Yahoo News a traditional portrait with oil paint on canvas is 'currently moving forward.'

'We approached the president and Mrs. Trump after the 2020 election and are currently in conversations with them,' he added.

It is tradition for a past president to be present at the unveiling of their official portrait.

The move to get a portrait of Trump in the gallery shows he is joining the likes of past presidents, even though it's likely he will launch a bid for president again in 2024 after only serving one term following his loss to Joe Biden in 2020.

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They should have been marijuana bushes to be more realistic.