Trump's Pool Contractor Overhauls Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
President Donald Trump has commenced a renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool located on the National Mall, utilizing a personal contractor he describes as "incredible at constructing swimming pools." The renovation kicked off two weeks ago with the scrubbing of granite, and Trump revealed the initiative during a healthcare event in the Oval Office on April 23. The decision stemmed from a friend's dissatisfaction with the pool's state, leading Trump to evaluate it alongside Secret Service and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. He criticized the pool as "dirty, disgusting," and noted it "leaked like a sieve." Instead of pursuing a $300 million, three-year plan proposed by the Biden administration, he opted for a budget of $1.5–2 million, expecting completion in two weeks. Trump asserts the renovation will endure for 40–50 years, with the pool finished in "American flag blue," after he was persuaded away from turquoise. Designed by architect Henry Bacon as part of the McMillan Plan, the pool underwent a $30 million renovation by the National Park Service in the early 2010s. This project is among several Trump-led initiatives, including the Rose Garden paving, East Wing demolition for a tech-funded ballroom, gilding the Oval Office, and a planned 250-foot Triumphal Arch.
Key facts
- Renovation began two weeks ago with granite scrubbing.
- Trump announced the project on April 23 during an Oval Office healthcare event.
- Contractor is a personal acquaintance of Trump, described as 'unbelievable at doing swimming pools'.
- Trump inspected the pool with Secret Service and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
- Trump called the pool a 'dirty, disgusting place' that 'leaked like a sieve'.
- Biden administration had proposals costing $300 million and three years.
- Trump's renovation budget is $1.5–2 million, expected to take two weeks.
- Pool will be topped with 'American flag blue' instead of turquoise.
- Pool designed by Henry Bacon as part of the McMillan Plan.
- Previous renovation in early 2010s by National Park Service cost $30 million.
- Part of broader Trump construction projects including Rose Garden, East Wing, Oval Office, and Triumphal Arch.
Entities
Artists
- Henry Bacon
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Dr. Martin Luther King
Institutions
- National Park Service
- U.S. Secret Service
- Department of the Interior
- Artnet News
- Truth Social
- Lincoln Memorial
- Kennedy Center
- White House
- Eisenhower Executive Office Building
- Dulles International Airport
- East Potomac Golf Course
Locations
- Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
- National Mall
- Washington D.C.
- United States
- Oval Office
- White House
- Rose Garden
- East Wing
- Bahamas
- Washington, D.C.