Trump Banner Hung on Justice Department Draws Fire
A 'Make America Safe Again' banner with President Trump's portrait was hung on the Justice Department building and drew sharp criticism over DOJ independence.
Overview
A large banner featuring President Donald Trump's face and the slogan "Make America Safe Again" was hung on the exterior of the Justice Department headquarters on Thursday.
The Justice Department said the banner honored the White House's efforts to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
Democrats and legal experts sharply criticized the display, with Gov. Gavin Newsom calling it "beyond parody" and Sen. Ben Ray Luján saying the president is "weaponizing the DOJ," according to social media posts.
Former officials and commentators including David Frum, Bill Kristol and Barbara Comstock said the banner showed the DOJ had become a "Department of Trump" and evoked authoritarian imagery.
Federal prosecutors previously brought charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey that were later dismissed, and the department is investigating Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Minnesota officials.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the banner as a symbol of partisan interference, using loaded terms (e.g., 'erosion,' 'weaponized'), emphasizing critics and examples of investigations against Democrats while relegating the administration's denials to brief paraphrase. Structural emphasis and selective sourcing present a narrative of corrosive politicization of the Justice Department.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The Justice Department stated that the banner honors the White House’s efforts to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and reflects their pride in historic work to make America safe again at President Trump’s direction.
Critics included Gov. Gavin Newsom who called it 'beyond parody,' Sen. Ben Ray Luján accusing the president of weaponizing the DOJ, former FBI Director James Comey calling it 'sickening,' David Frum describing the DOJ as a 'pure creature of presidential whim,' and Bill Kristol saying it shows a 'Department of Trump.'
Yes, similar banners featuring Trump were hung at the Agriculture Department with Abraham Lincoln last year and at the Labor Department with Theodore Roosevelt, with slogans like 'American Workers First,' and they cost roughly $6,000 each.
The DOJ brought charges against New York AG Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey that were later dismissed, and is investigating Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Minnesota officials over immigration enforcement.
History
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