Trump’s DC makeover costs top $101.9M for America 250

For America’s 250th birthday, the Trump administration is treating the nation’s capital to a full spa package — with taxpayers and national park visitors footing the bill.Washington, D.C.’s anniversary-specific pampering has already topped more than $101.9 million, not including any event, landscaping and personnel costs, according to an analysis by the Get the Facts Data Team and the Washington News Bureau.Those dollars have paid for projects that range from buffing up statues to fixing fountains to the more than $16 million renovation of the Reflecting Pool.But that number is likely only a fraction of all D.C. beautification costs.The White House provided the Get the Facts Data Team with a list of about 100 beautification projects for the America 250 celebrations.Of these, federal contracting data only reports the price tags for about a quarter, according to a Get the Facts Data Team review. The cost of the other projects is either not available or not specific enough in the federal contracts database.Where is the money coming from?Most of the renovation projects, about $72 million worth, are being funded by a pool of fees collected from national park visitors across the country. Another approximately $25 million comes from various taxpayer-funded Department of the Interior accounts, and according to federal contracting data as of July 2, $5 million in donations partially funded the Reflecting Pool renovation.Federal law requires 80% of national park visitor fees to stay at the park from which it was collected. The other 20% goes to parks that do not collect fees, like the National Mall, but the current amount redirected to Washington, D.C., is unusual.The funds spent on Washington, D.C., beautification for America 250 are 1,575% greater than what went to the nation’s capital in the prior year.In 2024, only $4.3 million was pulled from that fund for Washington, D.C., parks, according to data from the National Park Service. Similar amounts were spent in 2020-2023.”There is significantly less money going to national parks, individual parks all across the country, and much, much more money going to the projects that President Trump can see right outside of his window,” said Aaron Weiss, the executive director with the Center for Western Priorities.Lots of money, less competitionOf the more than $101.9 million in contracts awarded, almost 40% of those dollars did not go through the typical competitive bidding process. Instead, the jobs were rushed through with either simplified or no competition.”Normally, if it has a project, it puts out a bidding process and competitors can offer their bids and the government picks the best one,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen.So, what’s been done?While the more than $16 million renovation of the Reflecting Pool has garnered significant attention, it’s not the only multi-million dollar renovation. At D.C.’s primary train station, an $11.8 million project rehabilitated Columbus Circle Fountain, and two miles north of the National Mall, a $11.3 million contract brought water back to the long-dry fountains of a popular park for residents.The Trump administration is spending $5 million to restore bronze horse statues near the Lincoln Memorial, and $4.4 million has gone towards repairing light poles across the National Mall and other parks. The White House has also boasted of removing more than 150 homeless encampments, cleaning more than 500 instances of graffiti and installing 134 rat-resistant trash cans ahead of America 250 celebrations. The federal contracts database does not have specific information on the costs of these projects.Other beautification projectsMany notable Trump projects in D.C. are not included in that $101.9 million number, which only reports renovations specifically tied to America 250.In the works is $40 million for a National Garden of American Heroes and a 250-foot-high Triumphal Arch, whose final cost remains to be seen.As for Trump’s White House Ballroom and East Wing renovations, The Washington Post reported that an internal cost estimate in March by the project’s contractor put the total at $600 million, with tax dollars funding half. Earlier estimates said the ballroom and underground bunker would cost $400 million and would be solely paid for by private donors. The president promised that no tax dollars would go towards that project, but later pushed Congress to approve $1 billion to support security measures for the complex, which lawmakers ultimately denied. The New York Times has also reported that a secret, $17 million no-bid contract is funding renovations at Lafayette Park just outside the north lawn gates of the White House. The federal contract database has no record of this expense.The White House did not answer Hearst Television’s request for the total cost of the beautification projects and instead deferred to the DOI. The DOI and National Park Service did not respond to multiple requests for comment.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

For America’s 250th birthday, the Trump administration is treating the nation’s capital to a full spa package — with taxpayers and national park visitors footing the bill.

Washington, D.C.’s anniversary-specific pampering has already topped more than $101.9 million, not including any event, landscaping and personnel costs, according to an analysis by the Get the Facts Data Team and the Washington News Bureau.

Those dollars have paid for projects that range from buffing up statues to fixing fountains to the more than $16 million renovation of the Reflecting Pool.

But that number is likely only a fraction of all D.C. beautification costs.

The White House provided the Get the Facts Data Team with a list of about 100 beautification projects for the America 250 celebrations.

Of these, federal contracting data only reports the price tags for about a quarter, according to a Get the Facts Data Team review. The cost of the other projects is either not available or not specific enough in the federal contracts database.

Where is the money coming from?

Most of the renovation projects, about $72 million worth, are being funded by a pool of fees collected from national park visitors across the country.

Another approximately $25 million comes from various taxpayer-funded Department of the Interior accounts, and according to federal contracting data as of July 2, $5 million in donations partially funded the Reflecting Pool renovation.

Federal law requires 80% of national park visitor fees to stay at the park from which it was collected. The other 20% goes to parks that do not collect fees, like the National Mall, but the current amount redirected to Washington, D.C., is unusual.

The funds spent on Washington, D.C., beautification for America 250 are 1,575% greater than what went to the nation’s capital in the prior year.

In 2024, only $4.3 million was pulled from that fund for Washington, D.C., parks, according to data from the National Park Service. Similar amounts were spent in 2020-2023.

“There is significantly less money going to national parks, individual parks all across the country, and much, much more money going to the projects that President Trump can see right outside of his window,” said Aaron Weiss, the executive director with the Center for Western Priorities.

Lots of money, less competition

Of the more than $101.9 million in contracts awarded, almost 40% of those dollars did not go through the typical competitive bidding process.

Instead, the jobs were rushed through with either simplified or no competition.

“Normally, if it has a project, it puts out a bidding process and competitors can offer their bids and the government picks the best one,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen.

So, what’s been done?

While the more than $16 million renovation of the Reflecting Pool has garnered significant attention, it’s not the only multi-million dollar renovation.

At D.C.’s primary train station, an $11.8 million project rehabilitated Columbus Circle Fountain, and two miles north of the National Mall, a $11.3 million contract brought water back to the long-dry fountains of a popular park for residents.

The Trump administration is spending $5 million to restore bronze horse statues near the Lincoln Memorial, and $4.4 million has gone towards repairing light poles across the National Mall and other parks.

The White House has also boasted of removing more than 150 homeless encampments, cleaning more than 500 instances of graffiti and installing 134 rat-resistant trash cans ahead of America 250 celebrations. The federal contracts database does not have specific information on the costs of these projects.

Other beautification projects

Many notable Trump projects in D.C. are not included in that $101.9 million number, which only reports renovations specifically tied to America 250.

In the works is $40 million for a National Garden of American Heroes and a 250-foot-high Triumphal Arch, whose final cost remains to be seen.

As for Trump’s White House Ballroom and East Wing renovations, The Washington Post reported that an internal cost estimate in March by the project’s contractor put the total at $600 million, with tax dollars funding half.

Earlier estimates said the ballroom and underground bunker would cost $400 million and would be solely paid for by private donors. The president promised that no tax dollars would go towards that project, but later pushed Congress to approve $1 billion to support security measures for the complex, which lawmakers ultimately denied.

The New York Times has also reported that a secret, $17 million no-bid contract is funding renovations at Lafayette Park just outside the north lawn gates of the White House. The federal contract database has no record of this expense.

The White House did not answer Hearst Television’s request for the total cost of the beautification projects and instead deferred to the DOI. The DOI and National Park Service did not respond to multiple requests for comment.