President Donald Trump‘s Washington makeover of various landmarks is not going too well.
Every effort has repeatedly gone off the rails. One high-profile project after another has sparked lawsuits, setbacks, and unwanted headlines.
Each new unveiling has brought fresh scrutiny instead of the praise the administration hoped for.
And now another transformation is taking place that sends a chilling message to visitors at a public park nearby.
The message ties to a critical moment from Trump’s past.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett shared images that show Lafayette Square across from the White House in a July 30 Facebook post.
It shows a large black gate with signs that say “Do Not Enter” and “Appointment Only.”
“Denying access to a public park long known as the site of celebrations, protests, and tourists taking photographs,” said the Texas congressman.
Doggett, 79, then took a direct shot at the notoriously thin-skinned Trump. He suggested he was living in his own delusion, adding, “Fencing off the public: fencing himself off from reality.”
Other Facebook users weighed in on the current situation at Lafayette Park. Someone asked, “Just a quick question… Under what authority is he fencing off parts of a city?”
“He is running scared now,” predicted one person. A like-minded individual wondered, “Is this evidence of how scared he is?”
Another said, “How can he do this ? It’s PUBLIC space? Will NO ONE stand up to this?”
Many are reading the fencing as his way of telling people to keep their distance and stopping others from getting close to the White House.
“I guess we are lucky the fences aren’t made of gold,” one person joked.
Trump still seems to be griping over recent events that sparked danger.
People still use the location to demonstrate against the current administration. Activists often gather in Lafayette Park to protest issues such as ICE’s involvement in deadly shootings. The park has remained closed since January, with chain-link fencing placed around the seven-acre area.
According to an NPR report, the Trump administration wants to make its temporary 8- to 9-foot security fencing permanent starting in 2027.
The plan would allow officials to close the fence during unspecified “heightened conditions,” with phased implementation beginning in 2027.
Back in 2020, he sparked outrage with a crackdown on a Washington protest. A large crowd gathered in June to protest the police killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police.
Trump drew outrage after ordering law enforcement to clear the peaceful demonstrators with tear gas and flash grenades.
The operation helped clear a path for Trump’s Bible photo outside St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Even more intense vitriol played out on Threads. One post read, “He is insane. When will it stop? He’s incapable of rational, thoughtful, intelligent thought.”
Since Trump began his second term in January 2025, he’s been on a mission to transform famous landmarks with his personal touch. No approval from Congress, just his voice and his team who do what he says.
Giving the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool a makeover became a top project of the former reality television star’s Washington beautification initiative.
Trump intended the project to beautify Washington. Instead, it turned into one public relations nightmare after another.
No-bid contractors painted the Reflecting Pool floor “American flag blue,” but the coating quickly peeled and floated to the surface.
Green algae also spread through the pool, turning the landmark into an unintended eyesore.
Both projects ended the same way. The Reflecting Pool disappeared behind fences and tarps after weeks of criticism.
After damage from his renovations at the Lincoln Memorial, Trump put up black tarps to cover the damage he blamed vandals for.
The John F. Kennedy Center also ended up covered with tarps and scaffolding after Trump’s renaming effort hit a legal roadblock.
