Donald Trump has not hidden his fixation on former President Barack Obama, who he often sees dragged back into the public eye.
Today, the Trump administration appears to have discovered a subtler method to jab at Obama without aiming at the former president directly.
The latest target is closely linked to Obama, fueling speculation that Trump’s maneuver carries a message extending beyond the individual in his sights.
A painting that once held significance for the White House is no longer displayed at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic.
The piece belongs to Kehinde Wiley, the artist who created Barack Obama’s official presidential portrait.
Wiley also produced several canvases for the Obama Presidential Center, a project that has provoked Trump’s ire.
‘He’s Gonna Post’: Obama Stops Playing Nice With Trump, Drops a Savage Line About the White House’s New Look — Fans Predict an Epic Trump Crashout
The painting titled “Young Artists After Siamesas 1960” features four Dominican models set against Wiley’s signature lush floral backdrop.
Trump’s administration moved to remove the artwork from the embassy earlier this month. And now they’re reportedly weighing its sale.
The action occurs amid a broader effort to reshape American cultural institutions, a trend also visible at the Kennedy Center.
Wiley’s signature work places Black and brown subjects in heroic positions that were historically reserved for white elites.
Before its removal, the painting was draped with an American flag tarp, The New York Times reported.
Trump Officials Remove, Plan to Sell ‘Very Woke’ Painting by Artist Behind Obama Portrait | Amy Furr, Breitbart
The U.S. Department of State reportedly wants to sell a painting deemed “very woke” that was commissioned by the federal government during former President Barack… pic.twitter.com/LEsHU1hyeG— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) August 26, 2026
The takedown marks another step in the administration’s year-long effort to reshape American cultural institutions. This trend is also visible at the Kennedy Center, where tarps continue to conceal portions of the building.
The State Department originally commissioned the piece in 2013 through its Art in Embassies program using taxpayer funds.
To craft the composition, Wiley collaborated with local art students. He spent two years studying the works of seminal Dominican painters Celeste Woss y Gil and Gilberto Hernández Ortega.
Erin Scavino, who leads the State Department’s Art in Embassies program, took credit for removing the painting.
Scavino is the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. She was appointed to the role at the start of Trump’s second term.
On former Trump Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s podcast, she tied the removal directly to the artist’s most famous client.
The former contestant on “The Apprentice” said the embassy “worked very hard to get taken down. It was very woke.” She also called it “aesthetically terrifying.”
Scavino also emphasized that the piece was created by the same artist who painted Barack Obama’s official portrait.
On Aug. 11, U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Leah Campos posted a video of the removal set to Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”
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Danielle Brooks
I am a staff writer at New York Beacon, where I focus on culture, entrepreneurship, and the emerging voices redefining Black America. My work highlights innovators, artists, and founders whose stories often unfold beyond mainstream headlines but shape communities in meaningful ways. Through precise reporting and thoughtful storytelling, I aim to document progress, challenge narratives, and contribute to a stronger Black press tradition.