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There’s a new addition to the streetscape outside the Department of Agriculture building in Washington, D.C., captured in a photo tweeted out by the account Washingtonian Problems.
Looming down from the pillared front of the neo-classical facade is an enormous, brooding picture of President Donald Trump, adapted from his official presidential portrait.
Another banner further along the front of the building depicts President Abraham Lincoln. Both include the USDA logo and the text: “Growing America Since 1862.”
Grace Yarrow, agriculture reporter for Politico, posted a confirming picture of the new installation, noting that Thursday is the department’s birthday.
The picture of Trump is reminiscent of portraits of leaders hanging from public buildings, often seen in dictatorships, monarchies, and described in George Orwell’s 1984 of “Big Brother.”
Twitter users described the Trump installation as “fashy looking,” having a “North Korean aesthetic,” and giving off “Saddam Hussein vibes.”
Others imagined that Fox News would have “short-circuited” had presidents Barack Obama or Joe Biden done something similar.
One Twitter user worried: “God help us! They’ll be carving Mt. Rushmore next! 😳” Another asked: “Is that the new scarecrow for farmers?”
Tim Miller, host of The Bulwark Podcast and an MSNBC analyst, tweeted: “It’s interesting that these freedom-loving MAGA alpha males want to institute this deeply creepy 3rd world culture where we have a national daddy that must be obeyed.”
The Independent has reached out to the Department of Agriculture for comment.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is currently completing a visit to the U.K. following the trade deal reached in response to Trump’s tariffs on imports from U.S. trading partners.
Rollins was sworn in on February 13 by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after a 72-to-28 Senate confirmation vote.
On her first full day in office, Rollins rescinded all Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI) programs and celebrations, announced a reform of the food stamp program to include work requirements, and implemented findings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to optimize the USDA workforce and stop wasteful spending.
At least 15,000 Agriculture Department employees have taken the Trump administration’s offer to resign, Politico reported earlier this month. That accounts for roughly 15 percent of the overall workforce. The department wants to double that figure.
The departures represent a drastic contraction for a department that manages a diverse portfolio, which includes supervising flagship federal nutrition programs, food safety, farm loans, and rural broadband initiatives.
While only 3,877 USDA employees signed up for the first deferred resignation program offered in January, 11,305 agreed to leave under the second round, with potentially more resignations to come, according to the readout, which was confirmed to the outlet by a department spokesperson.
The program allows employees to quit and receive pay through September.
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