The Trump administration has placed a banner displaying the president’s image at the Justice Department’s main building in Washington, marking another step in efforts to brand federal institutions with Trump’s identity.
Officials hung the blue banner on Thursday, positioning it between two columns at a corner section of the Justice Department headquarters. The banner features the message “Make America Safe Again.”
This installation represents part of a broader campaign by Trump to place his mark on government agencies since beginning his second term. The administration has been systematically placing loyalists in key positions, renaming federal institutions, and removing officials connected to previous investigations.
Similar banners displaying Trump’s image have already been installed at other federal buildings, including the Department of Labor, Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Institute for Peace facilities.
Additionally, a presidential board voted in December to add Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The president’s name was also added to the U.S. Institute of Peace building in Washington during the past year.
When asked about the Justice Department banner, the White House directed inquiries to the Justice Department, which initially did not provide a response. However, a Justice Department representative later told NBC News that the agency was “proud” to highlight its “historic work to make America safe again at President Trump’s direction.”
The banner installation comes after a contentious history between Trump and the Justice Department. In 2023, former special counsel Jack Smith brought charges against Trump for allegedly keeping classified materials after his first presidency and for attempting to reverse his 2020 election loss.
Trump maintained his false assertions about winning the 2020 election, and his followers attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, trying unsuccessfully to stop Congress from confirming the election results. After taking office again in January 2025, Trump issued pardons for those Capitol rioters.
Trump consistently rejected any wrongdoing and described the legal cases as politically driven attacks. Smith ultimately dismissed both cases after Trump’s 2024 election victory, following Justice Department guidelines that prohibit prosecuting sitting presidents.
Smith left his position at the Justice Department shortly before Trump returned to the presidency early last year. Since then, Trump’s Justice Department has dismissed numerous officials who participated in investigations targeting the Republican president.
