Trump discusses reflecting pool renovations during high-stakes Iran war meeting
Workers continue painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 8, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
May 27, 2026
President Donald Trump spent roughly 10 minutes of a high-stakes cabinet meeting Wednesday discussing his Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation project, instead of focusing on delicate Iran war negotiations.
"From 1922 on, it really never worked," Trump told cabinet members, mistakingly referring to the the pool as a "reflecting lake," and an embarrassment, according to NPR.
Trump falsely claimed predecessors wasted "hundreds of millions" on the landmark, though the Obama administration spent $34 million on the last major 2012 renovation, and Former President Joe Biden shelved a comprehensive overhaul after bids exceeded $100 million without spending the money.
Trump credited his personal pool-building expertise, claiming he built hundreds of pools and crediting himself for selecting American flag blue for the basin— a choice triggering a lawsuit from the Cultural Landscape Foundation for violating the National Historic Preservation Act.
Trump estimated costs at $10-12 million, but federal records show the no-bid contract with Atlantic Industrial Coatings has climbed to $13.1 million.
The project ignores the pool's faulty filtration system causing decades-long leaks.
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