Trump Visits Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

President Trump made an unannounced visit on May 7 to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to inspect a new blue protective coating applied to its bottom. He was driven across the freshly coated pool in his motorcade SUV before stepping out to speak with reporters as the sun was setting.

" The president said the project cost nearly $2 million and would give the pool "the great color" it deserved. He stood in the drained pool while making his remarks and answering questions from reporters who had been brought to the site in advance. Trump added that several truckloads of garbage had been removed from the pool during the work.

The no-bid contract for the project was awarded on April 3 to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a firm based in New Canton, Virginia. The company had previously done work on a swimming pool at Trump's Virginia golf course but had not previously received a federal contract.

The administration used a federal contract exemption intended to avoid serious injury or financial harm to the government in order to bypass competitive bidding.

The New York Times reported that the $6.9 million contract went to the firm with ties to Trump. One of the company's owners declined to comment when asked about the award. A White House spokesperson said the project was being completed at "Trump speed" to ensure the landmark was restored ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations this summer.

The reflecting pool, constructed in 1922, is 2,000 feet long, between 18 and 30 inches deep, and holds about 6.75 million gallons of water. It has no natural flow and has long struggled with algae growth during Washington's hot, humid summers. Previous administrations spent millions trying to resolve the clarity problems, including more than $35 million under one prior effort, yet the issues persisted.

The pool also leaks an estimated 16 million gallons of water annually, which must be replaced at taxpayer expense. While the blue coating is intended to improve appearance, aquatic specialists told The New York Times that painting the bottom is unlikely to solve the underlying filtration problems that cause the water to turn green.

Trump first announced the reflecting pool renovation last month during an Oval Office appearance. He said the idea came after a friend from Germany complained that the water looked dark, filthy and disgusting. " The president has expressed similar dissatisfaction with the gray granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, describing it as a "really bad color" and proposing it be painted white.

Two federal agencies are reviewing that proposal. He also said he is working on improvements to the Lincoln Memorial itself but provided no details beyond saying "we have a beautiful plan" in mind. Work has been underway for several years on an underground visitors' center at the memorial scheduled to open in June.

The reflecting pool project is part of a series of changes Trump has pursued in Washington, including construction of a large ballroom at the White House after demolishing the East Wing.

“Our country is about beauty, cleanliness, safety, great people. Not a filthy capital.”

When asked why he was focusing on the pool given other national priorities, Trump responded that the country should not have a filthy capital. He said the project aligned with goals of beauty and cleanliness. An environmental group executive director told The New York Times that the renovations had become a secretive project where associates of the president appeared to be rewarded without public scrutiny.

An aquatic council chairperson warned that driving heavy vehicles across the pool during the visit may have worsened existing leaks and said an immediate inspection would be needed if it were their project. It remains uncertain whether the blue coating will resolve the pool's core maintenance challenges.