Large Trump banner hung at justice department headquarters | Donald Trump
A large banner depicting Donald Trump’s face was hung outside Justice Department headquarters Thursday, showing the president’s efforts to exert power over law enforcement who once investigated him.
While Trump banners have been hung in front of other agencies in Washington, the decision to place one on the Justice Department building serves as a stark symbol of the department’s eroding tradition of independence from White House control.
The banner, hung between two columns at one corner of the building, reads “Make America Safe Again” — a slogan used by the administration to tout its efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and violent crime.
Pam Bondi, the attorney general, has presented herself as the president’s chief supporter and protector, eschewing the approach of her predecessors who sought to maintain an arm’s length from the White House to protect the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.
Trump officials have rejected accusations that they instrumentalized the Justice Department for political purposes, saying the Biden administration was the one that politicized law enforcement with two federal criminal cases against Trump that were dropped after he won the 2024 election.
The department said in a statement Thursday that it was proud to “celebrate 250 years of our great country and our historic work to make America safe again under the leadership of President Trump.”
The Trump administration has opened investigations into a number of the president’s alleged enemies, amplifying fears that the agency is being used to retaliate against his political foes.
Federal prosecutors brought charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey that were later dismissed, and separately sought to indict several Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged the U.S. military to resist “unlawful orders.”
The department is also investigating Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and his congressional testimony and Democratic officials in Minnesota over whether they obstructed enforcement of federal immigration laws through public statements.
