Large Trump banner hung at justice department headquarters | Donald Trump

A large banner featuring Donald Trump’s face was hung outside the justice department headquarters on Thursday in a physical display of the president’s efforts to wield power over law enforcement agencies that once investigated him.

While Trump banners hung outside other institutions in Washington, the decision to place a banner at the storied Justice Department building represented a striking symbol of the erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control.

A banner hanging between two columns in one corner of the building reads “Make America Safe Again,” the slogan the administration uses to tout its efforts to curb illegal immigration and violent crime.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has positioned herself as the president’s chief supporter and protector, eschewing the approach of her predecessors who sought to maintain an arm’s length distance from the White House to preserve the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.

Trump officials have rejected accusations that they weaponized the justice department for political purposes and said the Biden administration is the one that politicized law enforcement with two federal criminal cases against Trump that were canceled 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, at the direction of President Trump.”

The Trump administration’s launch of an investigation into some of the president’s perceived enemies has increased concerns that the agency is being used to take revenge on political enemies.

Federal prosecutors filed charges against New York attorney general Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey, who were later dismissed, and sought to separately file charges against several Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged U.S. military members to resist “illegal orders.”

The department is also investigating Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony and whether Democratic Minnesota officials obstructed federal immigration enforcement through public statements.