Overview
- A towering blue banner with President Donald Trump’s portrait and the words “Make America Safe Again,” including the DOJ seal, was hung Thursday on the Robert F. Kennedy Justice Department building in Washington.
- The Justice Department said it is “proud” to celebrate 250 years of the nation and its work “at President Trump’s direction,” while the White House referred questions to the department.
- Critics—including former FBI Director James Comey calling it “sickening to see”—condemned the display as authoritarian-style branding that undermines the DOJ’s tradition of independence.
- The installation follows similar Trump banners on other federal buildings such as the Labor and Agriculture departments and the U.S. Institute of Peace, with a report from Sen. Adam Schiff’s office estimating at least $50,000 in taxpayer spending on such banners.
- The display arrives as the DOJ faces accusations of politicization through cases and probes involving Trump critics, including dismissed prosecutions of James Comey and Letitia James and investigations into figures like Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.