Amid deep cuts, USDA spent thousands on 31-foot Trump banners

[marmar]

(Salon) At a time when the U.S. Department of Agriculture was slashing aid to schools and food banks in the name of fiscal responsibility, newly confirmed Secretary Brooke Rollins elected to spend thousands of dollars to purchase massive banners of President Donald Trump, one of which now hangs outside her department’s headquarters in Washington, DC, according to documents obtained by Salon.

In May, visitors to the nation’s capital noticed two, 31-foot additions to the USDA’s building on Independence Avenue, ostensibly intended to mark its 163rd anniversary: a banner featuring President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the bill creating the department, and another featuring Trump, both featuring the tagline: “Growing America Since 1862.”

Rollins, who cofounded the America First Policy Institute with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, was confirmed as Agriculture secretary in a 72-28 vote this past February. In a post on X, she noted the installation of the banners, which was captured by a USDA staff photographer: “163 years after Lincoln founded @USDA, President Trump’s bold vision is ushering in a Golden Age for our farmers.”

The banners were printed and installed by a Maryland-based contractor, Timsco Graphics, at a cost of $16,400, per a work order that Salon received in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. While only two banners are presently hanging outside the USDA building, the order, signed by USDA procurement officer Holly Votruba, describes the contracted work as being for the hanging of “3 large banners on the Whitten Building in conjunction with the Secretary’s priority.” ...................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/08/13/amid-deep-cuts-usda-spent-thousands-on-31-foot-trump-banners/

[Bettie]

1. Nothing says Dictator louder than

giant pictures of the dictator hanging on government buildings.

[dalton99a]

2. 2015 cartoon:

[Solly Mack]

3. The ego of Dear Leader is more important than food safety.

[tanyev]

4. As one does. 😒

[Historic NY]

5. Its a Communist Dictator thing.

[Buns_of_Fire]

6. That's a picture meant to intimidate, not inspire confidence.

Of course, when the subject has only two expressions - a grinning goofball giving a thumbs-up to everything, or a scowling malevolent manly-man wannabe - you don't have a lot of options.

[Vinca]

7. Are paintball guns allowed in DC? That thing is just begging for a splat of goop.