Topline
Renovations on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington are ahead of schedule, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday, after a New York Times report citing government documents said the project may not be completed by a deadline set for this month.
Key Facts
Trump’s post said the renovations are “ahead of schedule,” noting the “goal” is to have them completed before the Fourth of July, which will coincide with the U.S. 250th anniversary celebrations organized by the Trump administration.
The pool is being fixed for leaks and having its gray floor repaved with “American flag blue,” according to Trump.
The tinted waterproofing created patchy shades of blue, according to the documents reported by the Times, with bubbles and small holes appearing in a layer designed to waterproof the Reflecting Pool.
The documents also acknowledged the possibility of missing the government’s deadline of May 22, with public records revealing the renovations will cost at least $13.1 million—far more than Trump’s initial estimates of $1.8 million.
Trump said in his post the renovation cost would be “a small fraction of the money” used by the Obama and Biden administrations, though the latter never attempted a major renovation of the Reflecting Pool, while the Obama administration spent $35 million trying to fix its persistent leakage and algae buildup issues.
Big Number
At least $162.5 million. That is how much money Trump’s cosmetic projects around the U.S. Capitol—including a proposed triumphal arch, repainting the Eisenhower executive building, a national garden of American heroes and more—will cost.
Who Is Doing The Reflecting Pool Renovations?
Atlantic Industrial Coatings has been tasked with completing the makeover of the landmark. Trump has said he recommended the company because of the “unbelievable” work they completed at one of his golf clubs. Atlantic had never worked on a federal contract prior to its work on the Reflecting Pool, the Times reported, adding it was given a no-bid contract—a deal given to a vendor with no competitive bidding process.
Key Background
Trump has launched or proposed a slate of various projects around the Capitol since taking office last year. The government demolished the East Wing of the White House to make way for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom and bunker with a $400 million price tag that could increase if Senate Republicans receive the $1 billion in funding they want for “security adjustments and upgrades” to the ballroom. Trump has also proposed a 250-foot-tall “Independence Arch” similar to France’s Arc de Triomphe that could cost up to $100 million. One of Trump’s most expensive projects could be the National Garden of American Heroes, a memorial that is slated to include 250 life-size statues of famous American public figures like Elvis Presley, George Washington, Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King Jr. and Kobe Bryant. The Trump administration also paved over the White House Rose Garden last year for $1.9 million.
Further Reading
Trump’s Other ‘Vanity Projects’ Will Cost $162.5 Million—In Addition To $1.4 Billion Ballroom Possibly Funded By Taxpayers (Forbes)
Reflecting Pool Repairs Appear Uneven and Behind Schedule, Officials Say (Forbes)