"Imagine How Different Things Would Have Been If She Won": People Are Gasping, Crying, And Clutching Their Pearls Over This Video Showing What DC Actually Looks Like Now

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If you're like me, and your algorithm doesn't want you ever to feel a moment of peace, you hear a looooot of talk about how brutal things seem to be in 2026. Gas prices are high, war wages on in many countries, the weather is hot in a very concerning way, and, for some [redacted] reason, everything is gold in the Oval Office. But there's something about seeing the way things have changed. It's visceral. It's palpable. It's shocking.

A person speaking in front of an ornate, gold-decorated fireplace mantel with intricate carvings and sculptures

Mark, aka @son_of_sally, recently posted a video that proves just how powerful photos can be because...wow. He went around Washington, DC, showing what things are really looking like in the big 2-0-2-6. And, let's just say the reality is SHOCKING:

Mark's video shows what seems to be a broken cherry tree branch:

Tree branch broken over a path in a park, text reads "DC looks great!"

Here's what an unbroken DC cherry tree looks like. This was in 2023:

People enjoy a sunny day under blooming cherry blossom trees by the water

Mark checked in on the Reflecting Pool, too. God. Hasn't she been through enough?:

View of the Washington Monument from the Reflecting Pool, with a police line and text saying "DC looks great!"

And here's another angle of the Lincoln Memorial circa 2026:

The Washington Monument stands tall under a cloudy sky with the text "DC looks great!"

For reference, this is what the Reflecting Pool area was like in 2023. Sigh:

People walk along the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., with the Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol in the background at sunrise

In general, there seems to be a lot of disarray in DC these days:

A chain-link fence has fallen onto grass beside a road. A sign reads "ELECTRIC FENCE." Text overlay says "DC looks great!"

This clear display of what 2026 has done to our nation's capital has been upsetting to many:

Profile picture with a person's partially visible face. Text reads, "He's sucking the life out of it."

And there's a...certain someone...people are pointing to as the reason things look so yucky and sad:

Stylized character from "The Lorax" holding an axe-like tool, standing among colorful Truffula trees

The symbolism just writes itself, I fear:

Profile picture with a person and text saying, "He's sucking the life out of it."

In Mark's comments, people are also sharing pictures they took of these same DC spots pre-Trump 2.0:

People gather near the Reflecting Pool with the Washington Monument in the background at sunset

Aaaaand they're floating some solutions to the problem at hand. Great ideas all around, honestly:

Profile picture with a captain emoji and text saying, "someone needs to call olivia pope."

Let's be honest, it's kind of a huge bummer! There's something about seeing how life is reflected in our surroundings that's just visceral. These obvious, visual changes are why Mark thinks his video has resonated so deeply with viewers.

"Americans hear about changes to laws, policies, and benefits that affect their lives, but those changes can feel abstract to people who aren't immersed in politics. Changes to the White House, the Reflecting Pool, or even the Kennedy Center are tangible. They are recognizable places and institutions that the public is already familiar with," Mark told BuzzFeed. "People are also noticing that these changes don't improve their day-to-day lives. They see self-centered vanity projects being prioritized while issues affecting everyday Americans remain unresolved."

People in kayaks display a banner reading "Hands Off Kennedy Center" on the water

Thoughts??? Let us know in the comments.

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