Trump's Trials - National Mall is a propaganda battlefield for Trump and his critics

Episode Date: March 25, 2026

Banners bearing the face of President Trump vie with satiric statues and protest posters in a propaganda battle playing out in and around the National Mall in Washington, DC.Huge banners bearing President Trump’s face hang from several federal buildings. One within eyeshot of a statue of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein that went up earlier this month. NPR’s Frank Langfitt spoke with visitors about this visual tug-of-war.Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

You're listening to Trump's terms. I'm Scott Detrick. Every episode, we bring you one story from NPR's recent coverage of the 47th president. With a focus on ways his administration is pushing the boundaries of presidential power. Here's the latest from NPR. I'm Elsa Chang. There is a battle for hearts and minds going on. It's happening in Washington, D.C., around the national mall. Huge banners bearing President Trump's face hang from several federal.

buildings, one with an eye shot of a satiric statue of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein that went up earlier this month. And Pierce Frank Langfit spoke with visitors about this visual tug of war. Luke Price stood in front of the U.S. Capitol and took in this remarkable juxtaposition. There was President Trump on the Department of Labor. His face measuring about two stories high, seeming to cast a steely gaze at the statue that mocked him. Price, a freshman at the University of Vermont, had this take on the government banner. I just feel like he's painting himself as the king of America, and I just don't think that's what we're about. America's a democracy, not a dictatorship. The gold-painted statue depicted Trump holding Epstein's outstretched arms on the prow of a ship,

as though they were Jack and Rose on the Titanic. It was called King of the World. I was pretty stunned that they left it up. I saw it on Instagram, and I was really hoping to see it when we came in. Why are you surprised it's still up? I don't know. I just feel like our current government would not take kindly to representations of our president like this. In fact, the National Park Service gave a guerrilla art group a permit for the statute that lasted four days. People giggled and posed for selfies. Andy Lynn Helmy, who attends homeschool in Florida, wasn't among them. I don't like it.

Tell me why. It is a gross interpretation of our president. And even if you don't agree with his policies or what he's doing in office, I think that it's just, like an incredibly disrespectful thing. Helmy, who's 18 and from Jacksonville, but the statue made light of Epstein's sex abuse of minors. A lot of people are smiling and laughing because this is a statue that was meant to poke fun.

I feel like it would be funny if it wasn't such a serious issue. The National Mall is called America's Front Yard. It's a collection of monuments and museums designed to unify the nation and celebrate democracy. Mary Corcoran, who runs the Save America movie, says these days it can also seem like a battlefield. We're in the midst of a propaganda war. Corcoran's nonprofit is part of that conflict.

It's been putting up posters that satirized Trump's cabinet members. One shows Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, and says, quote, fascism ain't pretty. We think that ridicule is a really important tool in an opposition toolbox to fight authoritarianism. Corcoran says the fight with the Trump administration isn't fair. Because they're using taxpayer dollars to fund their propaganda, and we're not. Trump has repeatedly denied acting as an authoritarian. Max Steyer runs the nonpartisan partnership for public service, which focuses on government management.

He says political protest is nothing new in D.C. But what isn't and has never been part of our DNA is the use of government resources to promote a single individual. That has never happened before. Steyr says Trump is trying to recast parts of the city and government in his own image. The banners, Trump's name on the Kennedy Center, and the United States Institute of Peace. Political leaders are hired health. He sees himself as owning it and getting to decide everything. And that's wrong and deeply dangerous to our democracy.

NPR shared these criticisms with the White House, which said, quote, President Trump is focused on saving our country, not garnering recognition. And others are, quote, free to share their opinions publicly, even when they lack any basis in reality. My name is Dr. Emma Bryant, and I'm a visiting associate professor at University of Notre Dame. Brian researches propaganda and information warfare. Images of President Trump looking down from buildings that represent American power that give a sense of his authority and permanence.

There are a lot of parallels with the ways in which dictators and authoritarian leaders use these same kind of imagery. Bryant says Trump is telling D.C. and Democrats that resistance is futile, which she says is an odd message to send before an election. When politicians stop trying to build support broadly, I think that is very troubling. It sort of almost makes it feel like the election doesn't matter. But some people touring the Capitol don't see what all the fuss is about.

J. Williams of St. Augustine Floyd. Florida came across a Trump banner hanging from the Department of Justice. It's imagery. It has nothing to do with who occupies that building or what they do on a daily basis. Put whatever billboard you want on it. Put whatever face you want on it. Who cares? It doesn't change what happens in that building. Williams's wife, Kelly, was drawn to the banner's message, make America safe again, which she said no one should object to. Frank Langford NPR News, Washington. And before we wrap up, a thank you to our NPR Plus supporters who here

each show without sponsored messages and, of course, who help protect independent journalism. If you are not a supporter yet, you can visit plus.npr.org to find out how you can get a ton of podcast perks across dozens of NPR shows, like bonus episodes, exclusive merchandise, and more. Again, that's plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's Terms from NPR.