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Shutdown, Security, and Construction Impact Tourism in the Capital
Shutdown, Security, and Construction Impact Tourism in the Capital
BY: Unity Jirkovsky-Gual
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2026 — Cigarette smoke lingers perpetually in the air as sirens scream, announcing the military police as they zoom past and into the President’s Park, the noise momentarily drowning out the incessant honking of the immobile traffic. The sun beats down feebly, attempting to warm the cool winter air as passersby, bundled in peacoats and multicolored beanies, crane their necks, hoping to catch a glimpse of the barricaded White House.
All over D.C ’s Capitol Hill, eight brands of tour buses line the nearby streets as people eagerly jump out, speaking Arabic, French, Italian, Chinese, and Spanish, and begin snapping awestruck photos of everything, from the monuments to the squirrels, to send back to their loved ones.
“I went to Arlington Cemetery today to honor my dad,” a young tourist in a blue jacket tells her friend on FaceTime. “It was really emotional. Yeah, I almost cried, because I took a photo in the exact same place that he had [taken one].”
Every year, millions flock to the capital to visit its famous sites. In 2024, D.C. welcomed 27.2 million people, the majority of whom were travelers from the United States. However, due to recent government shutdowns and the high volume of National Guard officials wandering the streets, the city has seen a decline in tourism.
This fall, during one of the many historically long shutdowns, an estimated 15 percent of revenue was lost for Washington's restaurants and an additional 9 percent for hotel bookings. A shutdown means that the top sightseeing stops, including the Smithsonian Museums and the Library of Congress, remain closed for extended periods of time, leaving some travelers unsure whether they should vacation in D.C. at all.
“Where to after this?” a woman with blond hair and a southern accent asked her friend. “I don’t know,” another blond woman in a black vest responds, staring up ahead at the wall of black and orange gates surrounding the President’s Park. “Text Chris, but I think this has got to be the last one. My feet are killing me.”
In the background, trucks carrying piles of dusty brown dirt or churning pounds of cement roar past the block every three minutes or so. Washington’s most well-known monument, The White House, is under construction in the East Wing at the request of President Trump’s wish for the addition of a large ballroom.
“Almost everything is blocked off today,” said a construction worker with a scraggly beard and faded brown overalls, telling a disappointed tourist in an all-black ensemble before turning back to his coworker. “We’re past the point of no return,” he muttered, while looking up at the construction.
As the nearby Episcopalian church bells mark the hour, a man in a blue pressed suit walks past, dragging a suitcase through the lingering piles of dirty snow. He passes a family of five sitting together on a wooden bench, with two young children in a stroller. They stare up at two blue and white cranes that beep ceaselessly, towering over any view of the renowned mansion they almost certainly came to see.
About the article
About the article
This article was written for COMM-200: Writing for Communications and is based on observational reporting and real-time interactions in Washington, D.C. It explores how policy decisions shape the everyday experiences of citizens in the nation’s capital.
Protests spike in D.C. amidst the U.S.’s ongoing conflict with Iran
Protests spike in D.C. amidst the U.S.’s ongoing conflict with Iran
By Ella Altman and Unity Jirkovsky-Gual (The Eagle)
WASHINGTON, Mar. 27, 2026 — On March 7, dozens of people gathered outside the White House to denounce the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, holding signs and reciting anti-war chants.
Ken Kutcha stood in front of the fences surrounding a small crowd and held up a sign reading: “No War on Iran,” in large block letters. Kutcha was one of the earliest participants to arrive at the scheduled protest, waving his sign as the group grew larger.
“I feel like I need to resist in every way that I can,” Kutcha said.
Across the street, directly opposing the group, a separate crowd of demonstrators gathered in support, highlighting the deep divisions shaping public response to the conflict.
Farnood was dressed in traditional khaki Kurdish clothing — a kawa, a fitted collarless jacket — and sporting an exercise headband in Iranian flag colors.
“You are not Iranians, you are not representing us,” Farnood said. “[The] United States never was [at] war with Iran and never is. We don’t believe that. We believe [the] United States is helping Iran.”
The war between the U.S., Israel and Iran escalated on Feb. 28. President Donald Trump has credited the need to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons as one of the causes. The administration has also cited defending the U.S. from a potential retaliatory threat over Israel’s attack as another reason to expand the attacks in the Middle East.
Israel joined the U.S. in the attack, reportedly aiming to remove outside threats, and has assisted the U.S. in its target of Iran’s nuclear program and oil sites.
Trump also said the terms of a proposed ceasefire are not good enough yet, and posted, “There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender.”
Members of Neturei Karta, an orthodox Jewish Anti-Zionist organization, joined the PSL’s anti-war protest in solidarity.
“Our people are being misused. Our religion is being misused to justify crimes, which are forbidden in this very same religion,” Rabbi Dovid Feldman said. “Our work is about education … we don’t want to change Jewish culture, we want to restore [it].”
In six days, the conflict has cost the United States $11.3 billion, and the Trump Administration has not given a definitive timeframe for resolution.
This article was edited by Gabrielle McNamee, Payton Anderson and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Avery Grossman, Mattie Lupo and Ava Stuzin. Fact checking done by Luca Palma Poth.
About the Project
About the Project
This article was produced for the Democracy & Storytelling showcase at American University. Originally published in The Eagle, it draws on on-the-ground reporting and original photography to document how international conflict is unfolding in public spaces in Washington, D.C.
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