Melania Trump ‘asserts dominance and is ready to get down to business’ in new portrait
Melania Trump ‘asserts dominance and is ready to get down to business’ in new portrait
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First Lady Melania Trump’s new official White House portrait channels power, dominance and her husband President Donald Trump’s role in The Apprentice, experts say. Melania’s second portrait unveiled by the White House is black-and-white and shows her standing in the Yellow Oval Room wearing a business suit and with her hands on a reflective desk. The Washington Monument is the background.
![[WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: First lady Melania Trump attends inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. Chip Somodevilla/Pool via REUTERS]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236701664-9ea0.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The portrait taken by the Trumps’ favorite photographer, Régine Mahaux from Belgium, and released on Monday, is a marked departure from Melania’s first official portrait. In 2017, Melania smiled slightly and had her hands crossed in the color portrait, but swapped that softer expression for pursing her lips and flashing an intense stare ahead.
![[This photo released by the White House on April 3, 2017 shows the official portrait of First Lady Melania Trump in Washington,DC. / AFP PHOTO / The White House / Regine MAHAUX / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT AFP PHOTO /THE WHITE HOUSE/ REGINE MAHAUX - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS REGINE MAHAUX/AFP/Getty Images]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PRI_35390948-f99c.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘”I have my own yes and my own nos” was her point and, as an intentional gesture in terms of emphasizing that very different brand, this new official portrait nails it to the point of overkill,’ body language expert Judi James told Metro. ‘This monochrome portrait could actually be from a pitch for her husband’s role in The Apprentice. It’s corporate, boardroom, CEO from top to toe and her dress and body language exude high levels of perceived and projected power.’.
![[U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend a briefing on wildfire damage as they visit the Pacific Palisades neighborhood that was damaged by the Palisades Fire, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 24, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_237237035-5d70.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
James noted that Melania’s hair was sleeker and that her expression suggested ‘shrewdness’. ‘She poses as though she’s at the head of a boardroom table, which is the power seat,’ said James. ‘Her arms are splayed now, showing confidence and emotional strength and her fingers are also splayed out onto the table, suggesting leadership and challenge.’.
![[President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave after dancing at the Liberty Ball, part of the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236768854-8b76.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
