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President Donald Trump visited the National Mall on Thursday, driving his cars to the Reflecting Pool to check out a restoration project he said would fix the “disaster” left behind by the Obama administration.
Standing at the bottom of a swimming pool, the president proposed a $1.8 million renovation of the landmark, compared to the $38 million spent under former President Barack Obama on a project Trump described as a “construction nightmare” that paid off quickly upon completion.
The Reflecting Pool, which stretches more than 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, is one of the most visited places in the nation’s capital, drawing millions of visitors each year and serving as the center of historical events and presidential ceremonies.
Trump was joined by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to review the use of the new, industrial-strength sealant. Trump revealed that he personally chose the new color: “American Flag Blue.”
TRUMP WORKS TO CLEAN UP LINCOLN MEMORIAL LAKE, BLAME BIDEN FOR SINDO DELAY
“The color was not good because it had a gray stone underneath,” the president told reporters. “Now it will have a great color. It will last longer and you won’t have leaks – guaranteed.”
While previous estimates for repairing the 2,400-foot-long lake reached $355 million over a multi-year period, according to earlier National Park Service planning documents, Trump said his team is completing the job in two weeks at half the cost.
The National Park Service previously oversaw a major renovation of the Reflecting Pool that was completed in 2012 at an estimated cost of $30 million, addressing structural problems and chronic leaks that had plagued the area for years.
WATCH: TRUMP UNVEILS NEW COLOR FOR NATIONAL MALL’S REFECTING POOL KAKEOVER
President Donald Trump holds a photo of the Lincoln Memorial pool with a sign that reads “Making DC Safe & Beautiful” during a health care event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The inspection was part of the “beautifying” campaign of the national capital. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the Interior Department has cleared more than 1,000 graffiti spots and 82 homeless encampments in recent months under Trump’s administration to make the city “safe and beautiful.”
Construction of the new White House ballroom is seen on the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
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“We’ve never had a president who cared more, invested more, or put more time and attention into everything about the Mall,” Burgum said.
The president also previewed several upcoming projects, including improvements to the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft and the proposed Triumphal Arc, although details on timelines, funding, and final approvals were not immediately released.
