President Donald Trump’s decision to hang a portrait of President James K. Polk in the Oval Office isn’t just decor—it’s a bold statement of American greatness that’s got the left trembling. As reported by the Wall Street Journal and shared by @clashreport on X, Trump swapped out Thomas Jefferson’s portrait in February for Polk, America’s 11th president from 1845–1849, who embodied “Manifest Destiny” by expanding the U.S. with Oregon, Texas, California, and the Southwest—one of history’s “largest land grabs,” per historian Hampton Sides. Trump admires Polk’s unyielding vision, telling White House visitors, “He got a lot of land,” signaling a shared drive for dominance.
Photos:
The Painting That Defines Trump’s Foreign Policy
Trump replaced Thomas Jefferson’s portrait with one of James K. Polk, the president behind America’s largest territorial expansion.
“He got a lot of land,” Trump reportedly told visitors, admiring Polk’s Manifest Destiny… pic.twitter.com/1NXz5BmP2C
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 13, 2025
Trump’s parallels to Polk are unmistakable. He’s talked about acquiring Greenland, reclaiming the Panama Canal from China, redeveloping Gaza, and even renaming the Gulf of Mexico “the Gulf of America.” In his inaugural address, Trump declared, “The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation… pursuing our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on Mars.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended it, saying, “President Trump is unafraid to propose new, bold ideas in his effort to put America first… Greenland is superbly strategically located; the Panama Canal should no longer be run by the Chinese Communist Party; and Canada has been ripping off American farmers and workers for decades. Where’s the lie?”
Historian John Pinheiro and commentator Rich Lowry, in National Review, see the thread: both Polk and Trump are workaholics, reject compromise, listen to the “common man,” and defy elites as underdogs, per Amazon’s promo for “The Political Underdogs” by Alexandre G. Bojko. Polk expanded America coast to coast; Trump’s battling global powers like China for dominance, as AP News and Reuters confirm his expansionist rhetoric. The left will scream “imperialism,” but Trump’s vision—backed by DOGE cuts, border security, and peace pushes—restores America’s might.
