The United States is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding, and on this occasion, the American Associated Press tracked what it said was a tremendous transformation that US President Donald Trump had imposed on the American capital, which is considered one of the most prominent landmarks of the American summer.
In a detailed report, the agency reviewed the features of Trump’s change process, saying that since his return to office 17 months ago, the American president has shown a continued fondness for the District of Columbia, by placing his picture and name on buildings, demolishing historical structures, modifying others, starting huge construction projects, and deploying armed military forces.
She pointed out that although the traditional tourist attractions remain, a wanderer in the American capital can see all the ways in which the president sought to reshape the capital, according to the agency.
The Associated Press took the reader on a tour of several stops through the American capital
The first stop: an indefinite deployment of the National Guard
The agency began its tour from Union Station and Metro Center, the two main transportation stations in the city. She said: Notice the Greco-Roman architectural style of the first station, and the modern design of the second station. Now, they have witnessed the ongoing, indefinite deployment of armed National Guard troops there and in many other parts of the city.
National Guard members from Washington, D.C., and several states have been deployed in the city since August 2025, under an emergency order issued by Trump in what he described as an attempt to combat crime. Trump has portrayed this deployment as a lifeline for the city. She added that the National Guard will remain in the American capital for most of 2026, if not all of it, and its number is expected to reach 5,000 soldiers this summer.
This is not the first time the army has been deployed in the capital. Troops were deployed in Washington throughout the Civil War, to quell the riots that broke out after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, and for the first hours of the famous Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
But in Trump’s Washington, the presence of the National Guard on street corners and subway stations has become a familiar part of the cityscape. No one knows when they will leave.
The second stop: scars of the Ministry of Government Efficiency
After exiting Union Station, and enjoying the view of the Capitol Building, turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue, where there is a building that has become synonymous with the Department of Government Efficiency, which is the Trump administration’s initiative to reduce the size of the federal government.
USAID was the first major federal agency targeted by Elon Musk, then head of the Department of Government Efficiency, in restructuring the federal government, when cost-cutting measures led to tens of thousands of layoffs.
The agency has spent billions of dollars on humanitarian aid around the world and has been credited with saving millions of lives over time.
By canceling 90% of foreign aid contracts, the Trump administration has effectively cut about $60 billion in funding.
After staff vacated their offices in February 2025, the USAID offices on Pennsylvania Avenue were reused for other government purposes.
The agency’s closure also contributed to a massive rise in unemployment rates in the region, which is home to about 20% of the workforce.
Many workers still wonder: When their lives were turned upside down, what survived?
Third stop: A picture of Trump staring down from above
Walking south along any of the numbered streets leads to Constitution Avenue and National Square. Banners bearing Trump’s image have adorned the facades of many government buildings over the past 17 months, an unusual practice for a sitting US president, and clear evidence of his mark on the city.
At the Interior Department, his image occupies a similar position to that of George Washington on similar “America First” banners.
A mile away, Trump’s face gazes out from the historic Justice Department building, a physical display of Trump’s efforts to exert his authority over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him. It is also a stark symbol of the erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control, as the president seeks to prosecute his political opponents.
Reflecting pool painted “American Blue”
The reflecting pool, recently repainted, is located west toward the Lincoln Memorial.
This location has always been a must-have destination on any tourist’s list. But the reflecting pool, which witnessed historic marches and protests, today also symbolizes Trump’s efforts to change Washington.
Trump described the area as “dirty” and ordered workers to paint it a color he called “American Blue.” A Washington-based nonprofit that tried to block the move said it undermined the character of the area, which is located near memorials to Lincoln and the Vietnam and Korean wars.
Since the renovation, the pond has had numerous problems, from excessive algae growth to duck deaths and torn lining. Authorities say saboteurs are responsible for some of these problems, and some have been arrested. The National Park Service announced that the liner was intentionally cut with a sharp blade or knife.
A walkway over the Potomac River Monument Bridge leads directly to the proposed site of Trump’s 20-story golden Arc of Triumph. Although it faced a legal battle, like many of its projects, the arch was approved by a major federal agency, and survey work began on the site.
In a meticulously planned city rich in symbolism that defines the American nation, any new construction can upset the delicate balance.
The arch, when completed, will break the intentionally designed symbolic sight line between Arlington House, which was the home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the Lincoln Memorial, which symbolized the reunification of a divided nation after the Civil War.
Front: Trump-Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Site, which has been known for most of this year as the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial.
The US Congress declared the Performing Arts Hall a living memorial to Kennedy in 1964, a year after his assassination. A law explicitly prohibits its Board of Trustees from converting the center into a memorial for any other person, or placing another person’s name on the facade of the building.
Ultimately, a court decision removed Trump’s name from the center, but there is still a veil over the change.
Trump also added his name to the US Institute of Peace, as part of a broader series of honors that constitute an unprecedented precedent for a sitting president.
And in the midst of it all: a White House that has changed significantly
No tour is complete without a visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – The White House. There, visitors can take a look at the construction site formerly known as the East Wing. It is now the president’s expected banquet hall, in light of the dispute between the judiciary and Congress over its construction.
The White House announced that the $400 million cost of the project would be covered by private donors, while public funds would go toward: about $1 billion for the entire White House complex, including the Ballroom for security measures.
The proposed building was also expanded to become larger than the rest of the White House buildings. Trump claims the ballroom is needed for security reasons, and he bolstered that claim after the attack on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April.
The area formerly known as the Rose Garden, which was planted by then-First Lady Jackie Kennedy, cannot be viewed as it has been converted into a courtyard.
Last stop: Black Lives Matter Plaza no longer exists
Just to the north, across Pennsylvania Avenue, lies the area formerly known as Black Lives Matter Plaza. During Trump’s first term, the most outspoken Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, ordered the area painted and named in memory of George Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police.
Black Lives Matter Square has become a focal point of political activity for years. Hundreds of protests started, ended, and gathered there.
The plaza was removed in March 2025 at Bowser’s direction, in response to congressional threats to withhold city funding. This decision represented an acknowledgment of a major shift in political discourse during the Trump era.
This is the tour, we wish you a pleasant visit.
