Trump Is Putting His Face on Everything

As Americans, we honor our leaders in various ways, from monuments and statues to coins and street signs. However, another tradition we have is to wait until a president is no longer in office, or has passed away, before giving them such honors. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has completely disregarded this custom. In fact, he began putting his name on buildings even before most Americans were born.

His political career was built upon his personal brand, and much of his second term has been defined by a desire to leave his mark.

The result is something unprecedented in the nation's history. People can see Trump's face, name, or signature everywhere—on government buildings, infrastructure projects, banknotes, taxpayer-funded websites, and official documents. The president's face has appeared rapidly, often without much notice, and nowhere more so than in the nation's capital.

Historians I spoke with noted that there may not be a perfect comparison, but past regimes offer insights into how a leader's ubiquity can desensitize citizens to broader shifts in their relationship with their government. Trump's face on various institutions sends a message that "he is inseparable from these more impersonal institutions of governance," according to Lisa Wedeen, a political scientist at the University of Chicago.

Several government buildings have featured Trump's name and image, including the Labor, Justice, and Interior Departments. However, some of these banners have been removed due to objections over the cost and the message they send. The U.S. Institute of Peace, funded by the government, even had "Donald J. Trump" added to its name in December, despite ongoing legal battles over the administration's control over the institute.

Trump has also renamed the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and altered the appearance of the White House. He has even turned parts of Washington, D.C. into a construction zone, redirecting funds meant for national park repairs. The Reflecting Pool, for example, has seen fresh sealant flaking off and algae blooming. Despite the controversy surrounding his actions, Trump continues to leave his mark on the nation's landmarks.