Trump’s DC makeover frenzy bewilders locals and visitors: ‘It’s like we’re under occupation’

In recent weeks, the area near the White House has resembled an exclusion zone. Illustration: Alvaro Dominguez/Guardian Design/Getty Images/Reuters

On the edge of Lafayette Square, a landmark park near the White House, a scuffed sign proclaimed: “We are making DC safe and beautiful.”

Julie, visiting Washington DC with her husband, Robert, to celebrate their recent marriage, was unconvinced. “The irony,” she said. “It’s neither safe, nor beautiful.”