--- description: President Trump has long defined himself through photographs. But now that he's in the White House, he's learning that they can define him too. title: 19 Photographs That Defined Trump's First 100 Days image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 19 Photographs That Defined Trump's First 100 Days by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) and [Ryan Teague Beckwith](/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) Apr 28, 2017 4:51 PM CUT by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) and [Ryan Teague Beckwith](/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) Apr 28, 2017 4:51 PM CUT President Trump has long defined himself through photographs. But now that he’s in the White House, he’s learning that they can define him too. As a business executive and later a reality TV star, Trump used carefully staged photographs to define his brand. The [cover photo](http://time.com/4403869/donald-trump-harry-benson-archive/ "undefined") of “The Art of the Deal,” his best-selling book, showed him looking handsome, confident and rich while posing on top of the world in New York City. In the White House, the trappings of the presidency have given Trump’s images even more power. At the same time, he’s photographed every time he heads out in public, and the results don’t always play to the message he wants to send. **MORE:** [_The Roots of Donald Trump: a Life in Pictures_](http://time.com/roots-donald-trump/ "undefined") One photograph of Trump meeting with an [all-male group of Republican lawmakers](http://motto.time.com/4712211/pence-health-care-photo-women/ "undefined") to discuss the health care bill was slammed by critics who noted the changes the White House sought would affect women’s health. It quickly went viral on the Internet and became [something of a meme](http://motto.time.com/4678819/isabella-lovin-photo-trolling-donald-trump/ "undefined"). Below, TIME looked at photos from the President’s first 100 days in office that showed the power of the image to strengthen — and undermine — Trump’s image. ### January 20, 2017  National Parks Service A photo released by the National Parks Service, right, of President Trump’s inauguration was compared to a photo from 2009 of President Obama’s first inauguration on the Mall in Washington caused controversy when the White House argued that the crowds were larger than they appeared. ### January 20, 2017  WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump is joined by the Congressional leadership and his family as he formally signs his cabinet nominations into law, in the President's Room of the Senate, at the Capitol in Washington, January 20, 2017\. From left are Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Donald Trump Jr., Vice President Mike Pence, Jared Kushner, Karen Pence, Ivanka Trump, Melania Trump, Barron Trump, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. (Photo by J. Scott Applewhite - Pool/Getty Images) J. Scott Applewhite—Getty Images The Congressional leadership and his family join President Trump as he formally signs his Cabinet nominations into law, in the President’s Room of the Senate, at the Capitol in Washington, January 20, 2017. ### January 25, 2017  (FILES) Greenpeace protesters unfold a banner reading "Resist" from atop a construction crane behind the White House January 25, 2017 in Washington, DC. While the new US president has shown a capacity to change, both his tone and his positions, he has been unable to show the world a "new" Trump, with a steady presidential style and a clearly articulated worldview. As the symbolic milestone of his 100th day in power, which falls on April 29, 2017, draws near, a cold, hard reality is setting in for the billionaire businessman who promised Americans he would "win, win, win" for them. At this stage of his presidency, he is the least popular US leader in modern history (even if his core supporters are still totally behind him.) / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB / TO GO WITH AFP STORY, US-politics-Trump-100days SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images Greenpeace protesters unfold a banner reading “Resist” from atop a construction crane behind the White House on January 25, 2017, in Washington, D.C. ### January 27, 2017  WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 27: British Prime Minister Theresa May with U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade at The White House on January 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. British Prime Minister Theresa May is on a two-day visit to the United States and will be the first world leader to meet with President Donald Trump. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Christopher Furlong—Getty Images British Prime Minister Theresa May, the first world leader to meet with President Trump, walk along The Colonnade holding hands briefly at the White House on January 27, 2017 in Washington, D.C. ### January 28, 2017  WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 28: President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office of the White House, January 28, 2017 in Washington, DC. Also pictured, from left, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Vice President Mike Pence, White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, Press Secretary Sean Spicer and National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. On Saturday, President Trump is making several phone calls with world leaders from Japan, Germany, Russia, France and Australia. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Drew Angerer—Getty Images President Trump speaks on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office, surrounded by (from left) his Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Vice President Mike Pence, White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, Press Secretary Sean Spicer and National Security Advisor Michael Flynn on January 28, 2017. ### January 28, 2017  President Donald Trump holds up a signed Executive Order in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 in Washington. The document includes restrictions against lobbying for "Every appointee in every executive agency appointed on or after January 20, 2017..." (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Alex Brandon—AP President Trump holds up a signed Executive Order in the Oval Office. The document includes restrictions against lobbying for “Every appointee in every executive agency appointed on or after January 20, 2017\. The photos of him signing things eventually inspired the viral meme [@trumpdraws.](https://twitter.com/trumpdraws?lang=en "undefined") ### January 31, 2017  (FILES) Senior Advisor Jared Kushner (L) and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly (R) listen while US President Donald Trump puts his papers away at the beginning of a meeting on cyber security in the Roosevelt Room of the White House January 31, 2017 in Washington, DC. While the new US president has shown a capacity to change, both his tone and his positions, he has been unable to show the world a "new" Trump, with a steady presidential style and a clearly articulated worldview. As the symbolic milestone of his 100th day in power, which falls on April 29, 2017, draws near, a cold, hard reality is setting in for the billionaire businessman who promised Americans he would "win, win, win" for them. At this stage of his presidency, he is the least popular US leader in modern history (even if his core supporters are still totally behind him.) / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski / TO GO WITH AFP STORY, US-politics-Trump-100days BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty Images Senior Advisor Jared Kushner (L) and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly (R) listen while President Trump puts his papers away at the beginning of a meeting on cyber security in the Roosevelt Room of the White House January 31, 2017, in Washington, D.C. ### February 11, 2017  @realDonaldTrump President Trump releases a photo high-fiving Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on social media and writes “Having a great time hosting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the United States!” ### February 11, 2017  Richard DeAgazio—Facebook The dining room at Mar-a-Lago turns into the Situation Room when a businessman-turned-actor from Stoneham, Massachusetts, Richard DeAgazio wrote on his Facebook page: “HOLY MOLY!!! It was fascinating to watch the flurry of activity at dinner when the news came that North Korea had launched a missile in the direction of Japan.” ### February 13, 2017  TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2017\. / AFP / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before they shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2017. ### February 27, 2017  TOPSHOT - Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (L) checks her phone after taking a photo as US President Donald Trump and leaders of historically black universities and colleges pose for a group photo in the Oval Office of the White House before a meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence February 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. / AFP / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) Brendan Smialowski—AFP/Getty Images Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (L) checks her phone after taking a photo as President Trump and leaders of historically black universities and colleges pose for a group photo in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on February 27, 2017. ### February 28, 2017  US Vice President Mike Pence (L) and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R) applaud as US President Donald J. Trump (C) arrives to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress from the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, DC, USA, 28 February 2017\. / AFP / POOL / JIM LO SCALZO (Photo credit should read JIM LO SCALZO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP—AFP/Getty Images Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan applaud as President Trump arrives to deliver his first address to a joint session of Congress from the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., on February 28, 2017. ### March 7, 2017  TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump gestures as he surprises visitors during the official reopening of public tours at the White House in Washington, DC, March 7, 2017\. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) Jim Watson—AFP/Getty Images President Trump surprises visitors during the official reopening of public tours at the White House on March 7, 2017, by popping out beneath a framed portrait of former First Lady Hillary Clinton. ### March 9, 2017  @Ted Cruz—Twitter Senator Ted Cruz tweets a photo of his daughters with President Trump in the Oval Office on March 9, 2017\. Cruz and Trump had a bitter rivalry during the 2016 Republican primary. ### March 23, 2017  @VP—Twitter In the battle to replace the Affordable Care Act, Vice President Mike Pence joined the Freedom Caucus for a visit and posted this photo on which was attacked for the absence of women at the meeting. ### March 23, 2017  TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump sits in the drivers seat of a semi-truck as he welcomes truckers and CEOs to the White House in Washington, DC, March 23, 2017, to discuss healthcare. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) Jim Watson—AFP/Getty Images President Trump posed in the drivers seat of a semi-truck as he welcomed truckers and CEOs to the White House to discuss healthcare on, March 23, 2017. ### April 4, 2017  U.S. President Donald Trump, center, speaks while holding up a chart during the 2017 North America's Building Trades Unions National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, April 4, 2017\. Trade has emerged as one of the most contentious issues between the new U.S. administration and the rest of the world. Photographer: Olivier Douliery/Bloomberg via Getty Images Olivier Douliery—Bloomberg/Getty Images President Trump speaks while holding up a chart during the 2017 North America’s Building Trades Unions National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., U.S., on April 4, 2017. ### April 6, 2017  In this image provided by the White House, taken April 6, 2017, Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell, right, joins President Donald Trump, and others, as he receives a briefing on the Syria military strike from his National Security team after the strike at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. In a White House split between outsider ideologues and more traditional operators, Powell is viewed as a steady force in the growing influence of the latter. A newer addition to the team, her West Wing experience, conservative background and policy chops have won over Trump’s daughter and son-in-law. Now, as the president turns his attention to international affairs, attempting to craft a foreign policy out of a self-described “flexible” approach to the world, Powell is at the table. (White House via AP) The White House—AP President Trump receives a briefing on the Syria military strike from his National Security team, including a video teleconference with Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford in a secured location at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on April 6, 2017. ### April 21, 2017  U.S. President Donald Trump looks out a window of the Oval Office following an interview with Reuters at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2017. Carlos Barria—REUTERS President Donald Trump looks out a window of the Oval Office following an interview with Reuters, April 27, 2017\. “This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier,” said the President. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4756564/trump-100-days-photographs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4756564/trump-100-days-photographs/"},"headline":"19 Photographs That Defined Trump's First 100 Days","datePublished":"2017-04-28T16:51:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:39:31.296Z","description":"President Trump has long defined himself through photographs. 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