'Kind of looks familiar': Trump's new presidential portrait spurs theories from CNN panel

CNN anchors, led by Dana Bash on Thursday's Inside Politics, were taken aback by President-elect Donald Trump's official portrait for 2025 and how it differed from the official photo taken for his first term.

"I want to talk about that, but particularly as it compares to what it looked like in 2017," Bash said. "Um, very different...it might seem like, okay, why are they focusing on a picture? Well, because he's trying to send a message. There was a smile that you don't normally see in 2017. It was sort of like, 'Oh, my gosh, what did I get myself into?' And then the second one, the one that is going to be used now, is very different. And it also kind of looks familiar."

"I mean, one, it looks familiar to a mug shot," declared Zolan Kanno-Youngs.

"That's what I mean!" Bash exclaimed. "That's what I was setting you up for!"

Kanno-Youngs continued, "During the campaign, that mug shot was key to Trump's strategy here. Immediately after the mug shot was taken, it was on merchandise. He used it to fundraise, as well. In a way, that photo there is a visual representation of Trump's strategy, which is stoking anger."

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Political analyst David Chalian called the new portrait one of "strength" and "defiance."

"When he said, 'I am going to be your retribution,' does that not look like somebody who is standing — he's not a big smiler. We don't see him smile much — a ton. This feels much more in character, the 2025 one than the 2017 one of how he presented himself on the trail. This also seems much more like a president who's coming in girding for a fight."

White House correspondent Kayla Tausche said it looked like Artificial Intelligence created the new image.

"It also seems much less authentic in the sense that, the one on the left from 2017 looks like it was shot on iPhone, and the one on the right looks like, you know, perhaps there were some inputs entered into ChatGPT. And I only say that because when the Trump/Vance transition put out these portraits, there was no photo credit," Tausche said.

"Oh, that's interesting," Bash said. "Or, maybe it's the guy at the courthouse. But it does have very good lighting."

Watch the clip below via CNN or click here.