President Donald Trump has announced details of a renovation to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The project aims to be completed before the Independence Day celebrations.
Donald Trump talks about the reflecting pool renovation
Speaking to reporters at the White House on May 19, the president outlined his plans for the iconic Washington landmark and criticised previous administrations for what he described as costly failures. “They spent much more. They spent, some people say, $200 million,” Trump claimed. “You know what they got out of it? A closed lake. It never opened, and when it did, it shut right away. It leaked. It was a disaster.”
Trump said his administration is completing the work at a much lower price. “I’m doing a job on the reflecting lake for a fraction of what they paid,” he said. “I’ve upgraded it like you wouldn’t believe… It’s going to be beautiful. It’s going to be waterproof. It’s going to be reflecting again.”
The president confirmed the pool will feature a dark blue finish, a colour he has previously called “American flag blue.” He stated the site would be ready before July 4, the centerpiece of the America 250 anniversary events in Washington. “It’ll be open before that, but [we’ll] easily be able to do the July 4, being a very special day,” Trump said (via People).
Before the press appearance, Trump had shared photos of a sample test on Truth Social. His post described upgraded materials, including sandblasted granite and improved stone walkways. “I’ve made this a much larger job than originally contemplated for purposes of Beauty, and a much longer life,” he wrote. The president added that workers applied a higher-quality sealer designed to enhance the water’s reflectivity.
However, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation has legal opposition. The Cultural Landscape Foundation and its founder, Charles A. Birnbaum, filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. The complaint alleges the government changed the pool’s appearance without following mandatory Congressional procedures.
