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A problem of Trump’s own making doomed his Reflecting Pool fiasco: NYT
Alternet • • nation
Key Points:
- A New York Times investigation reveals that President Trump's attempt to fix the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ahead of July 4th celebrations led to costly failures due to bypassing standard National Park Service procedures.
- The administration hired David Schutzenhofer, a golf club manager without engineering expertise, who chose a blue polyurea liner limited by Trump's tariffs on Chinese resins, resulting in a flawed and peeling pool lining.
- Despite early warnings from experts and visible defects like bubbles and algae growth, Trump promoted the project as a success, even claiming the liner would last 100 years.
- After the pool's liner failed, Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum falsely blamed vandalism, but investigations found no evidence of foul play, revealing the failure was due to rushed and improper installation.
- The defective liner had to be removed shortly after the event, costing taxpayers millions and closing the landmark for months, with court documents showing that consultant David Hearn had warned officials beforehand but was later scapegoated.
