Donald Trump has grown frustrated with many parts of being president. But the former showbiz star is still in love with one perk: the Oval Office photo op.

Despite the weight of multiple Russia investigations, open war with GOP leaders and a stalled congressional agenda, Trump has spent considerable time grinning behind the Resolute Desk, where he summons visitors from PGA star John Daly to former campaign aides to pastors, truck drivers, tech CEOs, teachers and even journalists to pose in front of the gold curtains.


He tells aides, from senior White House advisers to his private bodyguard, Keith Schiller, to snap the photos on cellphones, or he shouts for Shealah Craighead, the official White House photographer, to come in. The often impatient president will sometimes pose for several minutes per sitting, taking variations of a photo with a single group. He even stands with people to inspect the photos.

"Check the lighting," one senior White House official said, describing his comments. "Are your eyes closed? Do you want another? He knows these are special moments for people."

The photos illustrate how master marketer Trump sees the job, White House officials say — and are one part of the presidency that doesn't seem to grate on him, even though other presidents have barely tolerated the click-and-grin sessions.

While Trump scowls in his official presidential portrait and lashes out at his critics on Twitter and at rallies, the private Oval Office photo sessions are largely all teeth and charm, revealing a softer side that Republican leaders wish he’d show more often in public.

Several advisers and aides say Trump appears happiest when showing off the Oval Office, almost seeing it as the ultimate prize, just as he once showed off his celebrity photos, trophies and other memorabilia, such as Shaquille O'Neal's shoes, at Trump Tower.

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Presidents have long posed for ceremonial pictures in the Oval Office or along the rope line. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said photos became particularly prominent in John F. Kennedy's presidency, while President Barack Obama famously got in trouble for taking a selfie with other world leaders during Nelson Mandela’s funeral.

"I wouldn't call Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter great photo presidents," Brinkley said. "Reagan, because of the Hollywood side, loved to take pictures."

George W. Bush also would sometimes take dozens of photos in a day, said Eric Draper, his official photographer. "I was there well before the iPhone," Draper said. "No cameras were allowed. It was important to be there for the physical part."

Draper said he would inspect Bush’s schedule and know when to come in. In Trump's White House, visitors will sometimes surprise other aides or the photographer, who has to be nimble with her schedule.

But Trump also uses the photo sessions to assert his dominance over visitors. He doesn't accept no for an answer, repeatedly encouraging people reluctant to pose, including reporters and others who may feel uncomfortable taking photos with the president. One business executive said everyone knew the picture was a demand in a recent meeting, even though some other executives said they felt squeamish afterward because the photos can become fodder for criticism in a polarized political era.

"Let's take a couple more," Trump told two POLITICO reporters after an interview earlier this year, ignoring their repeated objections.

A senior White House official said the overwhelming majority of people desire a photo with Trump, though some are occasionally reluctant.

Trump makes time for the pictures because he knows people will post them on social media or share them — and they present just the image he wants, with the Resolute Desk. Trump's aides know it is imperative to send the photos to visitors quickly — often doing it within two hours. "It's the fastest I've seen them do anything," said one adviser who posed for a photo with Trump.

The pose has become something of a punch line among some aides, who have seen it hundreds of times — occasionally dozens of times in a day. One senior White House official said Trump has "probably taken 10,000 pictures."

White House aides said it was impossible to know how many pictures Trump has taken behind the desk and declined to make Craighead available for an interview. "The president is incredibly generous and is very proud to welcome visitors to the Oval Office," said interim communications director Hope Hicks.

The president, who is a famed germaphobe, rarely touches the visitors — one reason it’s more appealing for him to interact through a photo frame.

He has pulled supporters from the side of the road in Florida to ask them to come to Mar-a-Lago for photos. Unsuspecting visitors to the West Wing can get dragged in for photos when he sees them in the hallway. He does not like taking selfies but will occasionally indulge, aides say.

"In the way he does the photos, he's a star in every one," Brinkley, the historian, said. "He loves being in demand for a photo every minute. It is a narcissistic supply."

Trump, who is a famed germaphobe, rarely touches the visitors — one reason it’s more appealing for him to interact through a photo frame. | POLITICO Illustration — White House, AP, Getty Images and iStock

For Nikos Giannopolous, a Rhode Island teacher, Trump surprised him. Giannopolous showed up carrying a flamboyant black fan, which he opened in the picture that went viral. He had received some blowback from visiting the White House from his students and friends; he is openly gay and teaches at a charter art high school.

"But he was very understated, it was us kind of running the show and doing what we wanted to do in the Oval Office, and he just wanted everyone to take a picture,” Giannopolous said. “He was easygoing, he was polite. It wasn't really a formal reception like there was in years past."

Giannopolous said the president was gracious and he was glad he went — and all 50 teachers took an individual photo with the president. His, with the black fan, was approved by the president.

"It was a really fast, almost an assembly-line type thing," he said. "Pennsylvania had come before me, South Carolina was coming after me. He wanted everyone to have a picture. There was a line almost out the door."

For others, like Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney of Wisconsin, the visit brought some contention. He visited in February with other sheriffs and tried to woo Trump away from building a border wall and persuade him to change his immigration policies. Mahoney said Trump listened and was generous with his time but said he wasn't planning to change his mind.

Mahoney took part in a group photo with Trump. "Everyone in politics wants law enforcement standing with them," he said.

But he demurred on a solo shot, not waiting to stand in the Oval Office line like he had in the past.

"I've got a number of pictures with presidents," he said. "I'm more interested in substance."

The sheriff said he did not seek a copy of the group shot.