Huge Trump Banner Looms Over Justice Department Headquarters—Viral Reactions Say The Scene ‘Screams, DICTATOR’

A huge banner showing Donald Trump fell into place on the front of the Justice Department building in Washington on Thursday. The sign reads “Make America Safe Again” and hangs high above the entrance in plain view of staff and visitors.

The banner is striking because the Justice Department has long been seen as separate from the White House. That distance is meant to keep law enforcement free from raw politics. But some critics say the wall between those two places is cracking.

When asked about the banner, a Justice Department spokesperson said, “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.”

The Justice Department once investigated the very man now on its facade. In late 2022 Attorney General Merrick Garland named Jack Smith to look into whether the former president mishandled classified papers and tried to overturn the 2020 election. The special counsel later moved to drop the cases after the 2024 election, citing long standing policy against prosecuting a sitting president.

That history gives the banner a sharp edge. Supporters say the display is patriotic and shows focus on public safety. Opponents say it looks like the department is acting as the president’s personal publicity arm.

The banner also fits a wider pattern critics point to in Washington. Since the new administration took office, leaders have moved to rebrand public institutions and federal events under a White House linked 250 year effort called Freedom 250. That push has already replaced official America 250 branding at some agencies and has stirred questions about mixing celebration with partisan aims.

Reporters noted the banner did not carry the official logo used by the bipartisan semiquincentennial commission. That detail matters to watchdogs who say the move looks more like political branding than a neutral government commemoration.

Former officials and veterans of the Justice Department reacted with anger. Stacey Young, who led a Justice Department alumni group and left the department last year, called the banner shameful. She said, “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.”

The banner is one in a string of changes to public institutions since the new administration took charge. The president and his allies have moved quickly to put his name on buildings and programs across the capital. The Kennedy Center was renamed last year and the United States Institute of Peace was also rebranded with the president’s name on its facade. These moves drew lawsuits and angry calls from lawmakers.

The White House sent questions about the banner back to the Justice Department. White House officials did not offer a new comment on why the sign went up or who approved it.

For regular people who work near the building the sight was hard to ignore. Some shrugged and said it was just another odd moment in a strange year. Others said it felt like something that should belong in a campaign office rather than on a federal building charged with upholding the law.