Trump Announces Lincoln Memorial Pool Renovation

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that renovations have begun on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., coating its decades-old granite surface with an industrial-grade swimming pool material in a hue described as American flag blue to address long-standing leaks and poor condition.

The project, which Trump said was already underway, aims to restore the iconic 2,000-foot-long pool situated between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Trump explained that the initiative stemmed from a visit by a friend from Germany who remarked on the water's filthy appearance. "He said, it's filthy, dirty. The water is disgusting looking," Trump recounted during an Oval Office event focused on reducing drug prices, where he raised the topic unprompted. Trump later visited the site accompanied by Secret Service agents and described it as in terrible shape, leaking like a sieve.

According to Trump, initial plans called for replacing the granite lining, a process estimated at $301 million that would have taken at least three years. Instead, he opted for a more efficient approach by consulting private contractors from his real estate background. "I have a guy...