President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of past infrastructure spending, claiming a costly overhaul of the National Mall Reflecting Pool was mishandled and pledging a faster, cheaper reconstruction ahead of Independence Day.
Reflecting Pool Repair Cost Controversy
On Saturday, in a Truth Social post, Trump targeted prior renovation efforts on the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
He alleged that the project ballooned in cost under the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
“Obama and Biden spent more than 100 Million Dollars trying to fix it. The estimated cost of their ‘fix up’ was 355 Million Dollars,” Trump wrote.
He added that the effort was unsuccessful, claiming, “They made it worse.”
Trump said he is now overseeing what he described as a higher-grade reconstruction, stating he is using “industrial-strength materials” to improve durability and appearance while reducing costs.
He also said the project is “ahead of schedule” and aimed for completion before July 4.
Trump Reflecting Pool Contract
Earlier, Trump distanced himself from the contractor renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying the Interior Department awarded the $13.1 million no-bid contract and that he did not personally know the firm involved.
The project, which includes a controversial repainting plan and has drawn criticism over rising costs, is scheduled for completion ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) criticized the project, accusing Trump of steering taxpayer money toward favored contractors and linking it to broader claims of wasteful spending and unfulfilled promises on public projects.
Separately, Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) executive Emilie Choi said the company’s donation to Trump’s ballroom project was made in part to maintain “good relations” with the White House.
She highlighted private-sector contributions to federal-area renovations managed through a nonprofit.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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