Trump says Reflecting Pool work is done and it's set to be filled with water
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump's renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, including painting the basin a deep "American flag blue," has been completed and is scheduled to be filled with water by Sunday.
- Although Trump estimated the project cost at $1.5 to $2 million, contracts totaling at least $14.8 million have been awarded for the work.
- The reflecting pool, a historic site where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, was originally built in the 1920s and underwent a major renovation in 2012 to improve its water circulation system.
- Critics argue Trump is focusing too much on symbolic projects like the pool's makeover amid pressing voter concerns, while a nonprofit has filed a lawsuit opposing the new paint color, calling it inappropriate for the landmark.
- The Trump administration has informed the court that the work is finished, but a legal order on the lawsuit has yet to be issued.