All articles tagged with #reflecting pool
Algae appeared in the Reflecting Pool shortly after a $14 million renovation; officials say it’s residual from dormant supply lines, the algae is being removed, and measures are in place to prevent a recurrence, with President Trump having previously praised the pool’s renovated water.
Trump touts a six-week overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as a centerpiece of his plan to beautify Washington, claiming leaks are fixed, while historians, lawmakers and federal judges criticize his “move fast and break things” approach to remaking the capital.
President Donald Trump ordered a renovation that drained the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and coated its bottom with a blue liner described as 'American Flag Blue,' with plans to reopen before July 4 and the nation's 250th anniversary; the project drew a protest from the painters' union over a no-bid contract.
Trump traveled to Wisconsin to reassure farmers, but an offhand remark about preferring to be at the White House watching TV and blaming NBC for the rain punctuated a rough week, highlighting ongoing political headwinds.
President Trump announced a plan to build a 'promenade' linking the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River, saying it would revive the memorial’s original design; the rollout also touts a renovation of the Reflecting Pool, and the Kennedy Center began removing his name following a court order.
President Trump announced a new promenade to connect the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River, claiming it would restore the memorial’s original design and complement ongoing Reflecting Pool renovations, as the Kennedy Center moved to remove his name following a court order.
President Trump says the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation is complete and will be refilled with water by Sunday; the project includes repainting the basin in a deep blue he calls 'American flag blue' with administration cost estimates of about $1.5–$2 million, though contracts awarded total roughly $14.8 million. The pool—built in the 1920s and located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument—uses river water from the nearby Tidal Basin, and critics have questioned the cost and appearance, including a lawsuit by the Cultural Landscape Foundation seeking to stop the dark-grey paint as too theme-park in style.
Slate’s interview with journalist David Fahrenthold explains how the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation—awarded via a no‑bid contract to a non-pool company, with Trump touting a color called American Flag Blue—has become a microcosm of Trump-era governance: rushed, noncompetitive contracting that raises conflicts of interest and transparency concerns. The piece emphasizes reporting the story incrementally to surface details and underscores how a seemingly minor maintenance project illustrates a broader pattern of decision‑making under the administration.
Prince of Petworth reports from Washington, DC, that the Reflecting Pool appears to be coated with roofing tar while a UFC octagon is being erected on White House grounds, with photos showing the evolving setup and a view of the Rose Garden as updates continue.
Trump’s plan to reseal the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool moves ahead, but long-standing problems remain: leaky pipes and an inadequate water‑treatment network are not fixed, while expansion joints are being waterproofed—leaving open the risk that the pool stays murky or loses its reflective surface after renovations.
PolitiFact fact-checks Trump’s remarks on the National Mall Reflecting Pool renovation, correcting exaggerated claims about its size, timeline, and cost, noting the pool’s actual dimensions, a timeline that’s stretched beyond the stated two weeks, and costs that have surged from initial estimates to around $13 million, with questions about contracting and a lawsuit to halt the project.
Two seal tests for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation failed, leaving the $13.1 million project with ongoing leaks as officials push to finish before July 4; Interior Secretary Burgum fired back at coverage with a lengthy X thread accusing the media of ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome,’ while Trump praises improvements and the contractor scrambles to find a lasting fix.
A Trump claim that Obama and Biden spent hundreds of millions on the reflecting pool is untrue; the refurbishment and maintenance costs cited in official budget documents are far lower and spread across multiple projects, with no single expenditure approaching hundreds of millions. The fact-check walks through the cost breakdown and clarifies what funding was spent and on what, debunking the assertion.
CNN’s fact-check finds multiple Trump Cabinet remarks about Iran, the economy and the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool false or misleading: Iran’s military isn’t destroyed, gas-price and prescription-price claims are off, and the claimed $18 trillion in investment is exaggerated; the reflecting-pool costs and length cited are incorrect, and some immigration/Social Security points are not substantiated. CNN stresses this isn’t a comprehensive list and some items remain under review.
A Trump-ordered, no-bid contract to repaint and waterproof the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has unions voicing safety concerns as work races to meet a July 4 deadline, highlighting potential worker hazards, the bypassing of competitive bidding, and a cost overrun from about $1.8m to $13.1m.