MATT KERBEL: Washington Briefing #6: Under Destruction
Washington Briefing #6: Under Destruction Matt Kerbel Jun 08, 2026 This is what the White House campus looked like last Thursday. Cranes hovered high over the complex as an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage consumed the South Lawn. Behind the North Portico, out of view, is the rubble of the East Wing. The scene is a grotesque reminder of how Donald Trump has attempted to remake this city in his image. His scowling visage hangs from oversized banners in front of federal buildings. His name is plastered on electronic billboards advertising events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The beautiful reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial is covered in a tarp. Every time I exit the Metro stop near my hotel, I see a van waiting to take people to the Trump Kennedy Center. I will be leaving for Philadelphia shortly, so I may not be around when Trump’s name comes off those vans. But a federal judge has ordered the Trump name removed from everyt...