Donald Trump Hangs His Mug Shot Outside Oval Office

President Trump's breaking new ground during his second term in the Oval Office ... 'cause he's the first president to hang his mug shot just outside of it!

The 47th prez met with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House Thursday and photographers snapped hundreds of shots as they sat across from the Resolute desk -- but it's the background that's eye-catching.

The door to the Oval was left open, and just outside the office, you can see a framed photo of Trump's infamous mug shot hanging on the wall.

Gotta love the perspective showing a stately portrait of Thomas Jefferson inside the office, on the wall behind POTUS.

It doesn't appear to be just a photo BTW ... Trump hung up a copy of the New York Post front-page story about his mug shot. He's been a fan since the 1980s, when the outlet regularly published pics of him.

As you know ... the President's successfully turned his mug shot -- taken by authorities at Fulton County Jail after he was indicted in Georgia -- into a symbol of persecution and defiance, at least in his eyes and his supporters'.

He sold merchandise with the image emblazoned on it to fund his campaign ... and, when he regained office, he decided to forego a smile for an expression matching the mug.

Worth noting ... DJT left the mug shot outside the Oval, perhaps as an intimidation tactic before guests come in for meetings.