A large banner featuring Donald Trump’s face was hung on the exterior of justice department headquarters on Thursday in a physical display of the president’s efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him.

While Trump banners have been hung outside other agencies across Washington, the decision to place one on the storied justice department building amounted to a striking symbol of the erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control.

The banner, hung between two columns on one corner of the building, says “Make America Safe Again” – a slogan used by the administration to tout its efforts to clamp down on illegal immigration and violent crime.

Pam Bondi, the attorney general, has postured herself as the president’s chief supporter and protector, eschewing the approach of predecessors who sought to maintain an arms-length distance from the White House to protect the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.

Trump officials have rejected accusations that they have weaponized the justice department for political purposes, saying the Biden administration was the one that politicized law enforcement with two federal criminal cases against Trump that were abandoned after he won the 2024 election.

The department in a statement on Thursday said it was proud to “celebrate 250 years of our great country and our historic work to make America safe again at President Trump’s direction”.

The Trump administration has opened investigations into a number of the president’s perceived enemies, amplifying concerns that the agency is being used to exact revenge on his political foes.

Federal prosecutors brought charges against New York attorney general Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey that were later dismissed, and separately sought to indict several Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged US military members to resist “illegal orders”.

The department is also investigating Fed chair Jerome Powell over congressional testimony and Democratic Minnesota officials over whether they obstructed federal immigration enforcement through public statements.