A banner featuring a photo of Donald Trump and the words “Make America Safe Again” was hung from the Justice Department’s headquarters in Washington on Thursday in one of the most public signs of the president’s influence over a department that once brought criminal charges against him.
The Justice Department has traditionally operated with a degree of independence from the White House. That separation, however, has eroded during Trump’s second term as the Justice Department has gone after his perceived political foes.
“We are proud at this Department of Justice to celebrate 250 years of our great country and our historic work to make America safe again at President Trump’s direction,” a DOJ spokesperson said when asked about the banner.
Trump has proposed a number of projects and events ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary, such as an IndyCar race on the streets of Washington. But the banner at the Justice Department does not mention the 250th and doesn’t include the logo associated with the celebration.
The White House referred questions about the banner to the DOJ.
The Justice Department, now adorned with a portrait of Trump, once investigated the president. In 2022, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to look into Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The cases were abandoned in 2024 after Trump won the election, with Smith citing a long-standing DOJ policy of not prosecuting a sitting president. Trump denied any wrongdoing in the cases.
Since taking office again, the Justice Department has pursued cases against some of Trump’s perceived opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring charges.
It also tried and failed to indict six Democratic lawmakers who urged military members to not comply with illegal orders and has launched investigations into others like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee.
Stacey Young, a Justice Department veteran under both Republican and Democratic administrations who left the department last year and founded the group Justice Connection, said in a statement that the placement of the banner at the DOJ was “shameful.”
“Hanging that banner should put to rest any doubt that Donald Trump has hijacked the independence of the Justice Department. He — not the American people — is the only client DOJ’s current leadership serves,” Young said.
The banner is the latest step in Trump’s efforts to put his stamp on Washington and use its landmarks to exert his influence. Trump’s handpicked board voted last year to rename the Kennedy Center to include his name in a move that prompted a lawsuit. Trump’s name was also added to the facade of the Institute of Peace’s headquarters, an agency the administration had quickly dismantled after Trump took office.
At the White House, Trump added a “Hall of Presidents” to the West Colonnade with plaques that mocked former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
