Adam Schiff, a U.S. Congressman representing California’s 30th district since 2001, has raised concerns on social media about the display of large presidential portraits in Washington, D.C., calling them propaganda and comparing the practice to authoritarian regimes.
On September 15, 2025, Schiff posted: “These aren’t informational signs. They don’t explain programs, benefits, or public services. They are giant portraits of the President. They look like they’re straight out of North Korea. And they are the textbook definition of propaganda.”
In a follow-up tweet on the same day, he stated: “This is not only a waste of taxpayer dollars. It’s also an authoritarian tactic. Dictators from Stalin to Saddam plastered their images on government buildings to demonstrate power. Now, the Trump Administration is doing the same in Washington.”
Schiff further alleged that his office discovered a contract related to these displays: “And my office uncovered a never-before-reported contract for a banner at HHS that goes even further – specifying that the propaganda banners should ‘last for 4 years.’ In other words: until the end of Trump’s term.”
Schiff has served as a member of Congress for over two decades and previously served in the California Senate from 1996 to 2000. Born in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1960 and currently residing in Burbank, Schiff holds degrees from Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
