The Shrouded City

The great sheet of cloth covering the name of The Kennedy Center now appears to me more a funeral shroud. It is one of the many physical and political changes that make DC a less desirable place to visit right now. Let’s take a tour of those changes, including endless new fences, construction zones, and chopped-down trees.

 We can begin with the White House, where fencing blocks the view of the demolished East Wing. Of course, that doesn’t include the destruction of portions of Jackie Kennedy’s Rose Garden. 

 Moving just north, Lafayette Park is still partially barricaded or fenced off since January of ‘25. Protestors have gathered there historically to make their voices heard. Mr Trump didn’t like that and kicked them out, while also fencing in parts of the park closest to the White House.

On Constitution Avenue we pass the United States Institute of Peace, created by Congress. Trump has added his name to the building in shiny silver bolt-on letters, rebranding it as the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace. He is currently trying to have his name permanently engraved in the building, but has been stopped by court orders.

 Continuing to the National Mall, we come to the reflecting pool, which remains empty and fenced off. While damage was initially blamed on vandals, it later came out that contractor errors caused the paint failures. The pool is still empty and the fencing remains. One of these days it will fill with water again and they will remove the fencing, but when?

 From the Mall, we head to East Potomac Park. There, the government has removed old fencing, and along with it, roughly 60 trees (including a historic Cherry Tree gifted by the Japanese people) to make way for an expanded golf course. The administration claims the trees were dead or dying, but local consensus strongly disagrees. You may form your own opinions.

 Finally, let’s end at The Kennedy Center. New fencing was just erected this week, amid Trump’s threats to demolish the building if his name is not added to it. With these latest threats, the sheet covering the name of the Kennedy Center look less like a temporary fix and more like a funeral shroud both for public arts and independence in America.

 Meanwhile, we have dedicated National Guard troops deployed across DC streets, a heavy-handed presence that most locals—and troops—did not ask for.

 This transformation of our nation’s capital happened in broad daylight. Much like the construction zones at the White House, it is the work of an unchecked ego. When this era passes, it’s going to take a massive collective effort to wash the city clean of the physical and moral sins of the current administration and restore what we have lost.

I know we will rise to the occasion.