We The People II

We the People II was commissioned in 2018 by Nick Massad and Joe Roberts as a continuation of Kenneth R. Turner's earlier historical work The Light of Freedom. The concept was straightforward but ambitious: to portray the American presidency as part of an unbroken continuum of history, beginning with Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln, and extending forward through modern leadership.

The painting depicts President Donald J. Trump seated in the Oval Office, with First Lady Melania Trump standing beside him. Surrounding them are ghosted portraits of historical figures who represent defining moments of progress, leadership, and human rights—woven into the composition as witnesses rather than subjects.

Shortly after completion, Turner received an unexpected phone call from Rick Perry, then Secretary of Energy, who had been shown an image of the painting. Perry relayed that both Jared Kushner and President Trump had seen the work and wanted it delivered to the White House. Perry personally carried the painting inside.

The Executive Orders Version, distinguished by a prominent stack of executive orders on the desk, was produced shortly after the original and became the most widely collected edition. Turner has described the moment not as ceremonial, but deeply human—an artist watching a work leave his hands and enter the historical record. We the People II is not intended as political commentary, but as documentation: a record of leadership viewed through the lens of American continuity.