Topline<\/p>\n
Renovations on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington are ahead of schedule, President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday, after a New York Times report<\/a> citing government documents said the project may not be completed by a deadline set for this month.<\/p>\n Trump said his administration’s “goal” is to have the Reflecting Pool renovations complete before July 4.<\/p>\n Photo by Kent NISHIMURA \/ AFP via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s post said the renovations are \u201cahead of schedule,\u201d noting the \u201cgoal\u201d is to have them completed before the Fourth of July, which will coincide with the U.S. 250th anniversary celebrations organized by the Trump administration. <\/p>\n The pool is being fixed for leaks and having its gray floor repaved with \u201cAmerican flag blue,\u201d according to Trump.<\/p>\n The tinted waterproofing created patchy shades of blue, according to the documents reported by the Times, with bubbles and small holes appearing in a layer designed to waterproof the Reflecting Pool.<\/p>\n The documents also acknowledged the possibility of missing the government\u2019s deadline of May 22, with public records<\/a> revealing the renovations will cost at least $13.1 million\u2014far more than Trump\u2019s initial estimates of $1.8 million.<\/p>\n Trump said in his post the renovation cost would be \u201ca small fraction of the money\u201d used by the Obama and Biden administrations, though the latter never attempted a major renovation of the Reflecting Pool, while the Obama administration spent $35 million trying to fix its persistent leakage and algae buildup issues.<\/p>\n Big Number<\/p>\n At least $162.5 million<\/a>. That is how much money Trump\u2019s cosmetic projects around the U.S. Capitol\u2014including a proposed triumphal arch, repainting the Eisenhower executive building, a national garden of American heroes and more\u2014will cost. <\/p>\n Who Is Doing The Reflecting Pool Renovations?<\/p>\n Atlantic Industrial Coatings has been tasked with completing the makeover of the landmark. Trump has said he recommended the company because of the \u201cunbelievable\u201d work they completed at one of his golf clubs. Atlantic had never worked on a federal contract prior to its work on the Reflecting Pool, the Times reported, adding it was given a no-bid contract\u2014a deal given to a vendor with no competitive bidding process.<\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n Trump has launched or proposed a slate of various projects around the Capitol since taking office last year. The government demolished the East Wing of the White House to make way for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom and bunker with a $400 million price tag that could increase if Senate Republicans receive the $1 billion in funding they want for \u201csecurity adjustments and upgrades\u201d to the ballroom. Trump has also proposed a 250-foot-tall \u201cIndependence Arch\u201d similar to France\u2019s Arc de Triomphe that could cost up to $100 million. One of Trump\u2019s most expensive projects could be the National Garden of American Heroes, a memorial that is slated to include 250 life-size statues of famous American public figures like Elvis Presley, George Washington, Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King Jr. and Kobe Bryant. The Trump administration also paved over the White House Rose Garden last year for $1.9 million.<\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n