Trump Slaps His Own Face on Limited-Edition Passports, Turns DC Into a $400M Self-Tribute Zone
As America marks its 250th birthday, President Donald Trump has unveiled a limited-edition passport featuring his own image and turned Washington, D.C., into a construction zone with soldiers, banners, and a $16 million reflecting pool that has already turned green.
Visitors to the nation’s capital will find a city transformed since Trump returned to office 17 months ago. Armed National Guard troops now patrol Union Station and Metro Center under an open-ended emergency order to fight crime, with around 5,000 troops expected this summer [182331]. Banners with Trump’s image hang on several government buildings, including the Justice Department—a rare display for a sitting president [182331].
The president launched the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations with an event that felt more like a campaign rally, blending national pride with a focus on his own image [181586]. As part of the America250 celebration, Trump unveiled a new limited-edition U.S. passport design. The cover features his image alongside the text of the Declaration of Independence [182871].
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which underwent a $16 million renovation to turn it “American flag blue,” is now green again—covered in algae. National Park Service workers are running repairs 16 hours a day, two shifts, until July 4, using hoses and vacuum systems. The blue coating is already cracking and peeling, with large chips of the liner floating in the water [181989]. Scientists say the shallow, sun-warmed waters are a perfect breeding ground for algae, and the renovations may have actually sped up the bloom [178084].
At the White House, the East Wing has been torn down to make way for a new ballroom. The project costs $400 million, paid by private donors, though public money will pay for security. The Rose Garden, planted by Jackie Kennedy, has been paved over [182331]. Across the river, Trump plans to build a 20-story, gold-covered arch that would break the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House. The project is in court, but survey work has started [182331].
The street near the White House once called Black Lives Matter Plaza is no more. The city removed the name and the large yellow painting in March 2025 after Congress threatened to hold the city’s funding [182331].