Official portraits of Trump and Vance released ahead of Jan. 20 inauguration

Official inaugural portraits of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and vice-president-elect JD Vance. (Trump Campaign)

Official portraits of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and vice-president-elect JD Vance have been released ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration in Washington.

In a press release announcing the portraits, the Trump transition team said “they go hard.”

Staring sternly into the camera, Trump’s striking portrait is reminiscent of the defiant scowling mugshot that went viral after he turned himself in to authorities in Georgia in August 2023 as part of an election interference case.

Soon after the mugshot was made public, the Trump campaign started selling t-shirts, coffee mugs, beer koozies and other products emblazoned with the glowering image and the words "NEVER SURRENDER!"

“You got to wonder if a person deliberately takes that pose, what’s going on,” former Trump national security adviser John Bolton told CNN on Thursday. “I think it’s the Trump brand thing, and it’s Trump the personality over Trump the president of America. It’s more about Trump than it is about the country – I think that’s a problem.”

Bolton said he has never seen an inaugural photo quite like it before.

“And I don’t ever expect to see one again like that,” he added.

The image of Trump is in stark contrast to the beaming smile he flashed for the official portrait unveiled during his first presidency in 2017.

In their new portraits, Trump and Vance both sport blue suits and ties. Compared to Trump, Vance’s portrait appears more relaxed, with his arms crossed and a faint smile.

With files from CNN and The Associated Press