President Donald Trump made an unannounced visit to the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday evening to inspect the ongoing renovation of the Reflecting Pool, a project he has personally championed.
Donald Trump inspected reflecting pool amid renovation
The president arrived at the site before stepping out to address reporters who had been escorted there in advance. The coating, which Trump has called “American flag blue,” is designed to cover the pool’s original gray stone floor.
“It never had the color people wanted, but now it’s going to have the great color,” Trump said. He was standing near the drained basin with several Cabinet secretaries, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The renovation carries a price tag of nearly $2 million, Trump told journalists. He said the gray stone underneath was “never good” and that the new colour would finally match public expectations (via NBC Washington).
Asked about the motivation behind the pool project, Trump pointed to complaints from a German friend who visited Washington and said the water appeared dark and dirty. The president also said work is being planned for the Lincoln Memorial itself, claiming “a beautiful plan” exists, though he offered no specifics.
When a reporter questioned why Trump was focused on the Reflecting Pool, given the ongoing Iran war, the president responded, “Our country is about beauty, cleanliness, safety, great people. Not a filthy capital,.” Further adding, “We’re fixing up the reflecting pond to the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and you say, ‘Why are you fixing it up?’ Because you can understand dirt maybe better than I can, but I don’t allow it.”
The Reflecting Pool renovation is part of a broader effort by Trump to leave a physical mark on Washington. It follows his earlier demolition of the White House East Wing to build a large ballroom.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.com.
