Donald Trump has lashed out at The New York Times over its coverage of the renovation work taking place at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. The president posted a 400-word statement on his Truth Social platform.
Donald Trump posts 400-word rant over reflecting pool criticism
The trigger for Donald Trump’s response was The New York Times’ report. It described the ongoing reflecting pool work as a “paint job.” He made it clear he saw the description as a slight, arguing the project was far more significant than the term suggested.
“They are now trying to justify Obama and Biden’s expensively botched attempt at fixing the long broken, unsightly, and unsanitary Reflecting Pool that NOW sits majestically between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.” Trump wrote in the post. He cast himself as someone who stepped in where others had failed. “Now, along comes ‘TRUMP,’ who is asked by many patriots if I can fix it. The answer is a resounding, YES, and for a ‘tiny’ fraction of the cost!” he added.
Trump went on to detail what he framed as dramatic savings in both time and money. He said that after working with the Department of the Interior. They determined they could build a “far superior Reflecting Pool for 5 or 6 million Dollars, and could complete the project in 2 weeks rather than 4 years.” He described the result as “deeply complicated work of smart and beautiful construction.” Moreover, he insisted, “This is not just a paint job.”
Furthermore, the president continued with bashing his predecessors. He claimed Barack Obama and Joe Biden spent “at least” $55 million on the pool. In fact, he added, they left it “a total mess for all to see.” However, questions were about the costs involved. Trump had previously suggested the renovation could be done for just $1.5 million. Last month, it was reported that Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC was handed a no-bid federal contract worth close to $7 million for the work. Additionally, records later showed that an additional $6.2 million has been awarded.
Originally written by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
