Tens of thousands of workers were terminated and unemployment surged in the Washington D.C. region following the Trump administration's elimination of 90% of foreign aid contracts, a move that cut $60 billion in funding and coincided with an indefinite deployment of armed National Guard troops across the capital. These changes are reshaping the city during the United States' 250th year, alongside extensive renovations, construction projects, and altered landmarks.
Since returning to office 17 months ago, President Donald Trump has placed his image and name on buildings, removed established structures, modified others, initiated large-scale construction, and deployed armed military personnel. Visitors to Washington now encounter an indefinite National Guard deployment, changes linked to the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump imagery on government buildings, a repainted Reflecting Pool, a proposed triumphal arch, a renamed Kennedy Center, a new White House ballroom project, and the removal of Black Lives Matter Plaza.
Militarized Capital, Displaced Labor
Armed National Guard troops have been deployed at Union Station and Metro Center, the city’s primary transit hubs, since August 2025, less than one year ago. This deployment operates under an emergency order issued by Trump, who stated it was intended to combat crime. The President has characterized the deployment as essential for the city. The number of troops is projected to reach 5,000 this summer and they are expected to remain in the city for most, if not all, of 2026. National Guard members from the district and several states have been present in the city since August 2025. Historical military deployments in Washington include periods during the Civil War, following Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 assassination, and hours after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, 5 years ago.
Along Pennsylvania Avenue, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) became associated with the Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration’s initiative to reduce the federal government. Then-DOGE leader Elon Musk targeted USAID, and cost-cutting measures resulted in the terminations of tens of thousands of workers. USAID had previously spent billions on humanitarian aid globally and was credited with saving millions of lives over time. The Trump administration effectively cut approximately $60 billion in funding by eliminating 90% of foreign aid contracts. After workers cleared their desks in February 2025, about one year and four months ago, the USAID offices on Pennsylvania Avenue were repurposed for other government uses. The closure of the agency also contributed to a significant increase in unemployment in the region, where about one-fifth of the workforce resides.
Symbolic Power, Material Costs
Banners featuring Trump’s image have adorned the facades of several government buildings for the past 17 months. At the Department of the Interior, his image is displayed alongside George Washington on banners proclaiming “America’s First” and “America First.” A mile away, Trump’s face appears on the Department of Justice building, a display described as symbolizing Trump’s efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him and representing an erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control.
Westward toward the Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool has been repainted in a color Trump designated “American flag blue,” after he described the area as “filthy.” A Washington-based nonprofit attempted to block this action, arguing it undermined the somber character of the area near the memorials to Lincoln and to the Vietnam and Korean wars. Since the makeover, the pool has experienced issues including uncontrolled algae growth, dead ducks, and a torn lining. Authorities attributed some problems to vandals, leading to arrests. The National Park Service stated the liner was intentionally cut with a sharp razor or knife.
Across the Potomac River, survey work has commenced at the proposed future site of Trump’s 20-story, gold-adorned triumphal arch. A key federal agency has approved the arch, but it is currently involved in a court battle. If constructed, it would disrupt the intentionally designed symbolic sightline between Arlington House, formerly the home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the Lincoln Memorial.
Visible from that site is the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, known for much of this year as the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center. Congress designated the venue as a living memorial to Kennedy in 1964, 62 years ago, the year after he was assassinated, 63 years ago. A law explicitly prohibits its board of trustees from making the center a memorial to anyone else or from placing another person’s name on the building’s exterior. A court decision eventually removed Trump’s name from the center, but a tarp continues to obscure the change. Trump also added his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace, as part of a broader series of tributes described as largely unprecedented for a sitting, living president.
At the White House, the East Wing has become a construction site for the president’s ballroom-in-waiting, as courts and Congress dispute its construction. The White House stated that private donors would cover the $400 million cost, but public money—approximately $1 billion for the entire White House complex, including the ballroom—would be used for security measures. The proposed building has expanded to a size larger than the rest of the White House. Trump asserts the ballroom is necessary for security reasons, an assertion he amplified after the attack on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April, within the current year. The area formerly known as the Rose Garden, planted by then-first lady Jackie Kennedy, has been paved over into a patio.
The State's Hand in Suppression
Across Pennsylvania Avenue, the area formerly known as Black Lives Matter Plaza was removed in March 2025, about one year and three months ago, under Mayor Muriel Bowser’s direction. This action followed threats from Congress to withhold the city’s funding. During Trump’s first term, Bowser had ordered the painting and naming of the area as a remembrance of George Floyd’s death at the hands of the Minneapolis police. The plaza had served as a focal point for years of political activism, with hundreds of protests originating, concluding, or rallying there. Its removal reflects a significant shift in tone under Trump.