Trump’s Lincoln Memorial Makeover Becomes a Vanity-Driven Political Firestorm

TPM’s Morning Memo argues that Trump’s $16 million, no-bid makeover of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was a vanity project that backfired when algae bloomed and paint peeled, prompting Trump to lash out at “vandals” while a loyal prosecutor floated charges—showing a pattern the piece calls “peak Trumpism.” The memo also touches on debates around JD Vance’s Communion, DOJ’s stance on MLB Pride Night, and other Trump-era political controversies, framing the pool episode as a symbol of governance driven by spectacle and factional fault lines.