President Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday to announce the completion of a renovation project on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, claiming his intervention saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars while fixing a “botched” previous attempt.
In a lengthy post, the President criticized previous administrative efforts under Barack Obama and Joe Biden, alleging they spent $55 million on failed repairs that left the site “leaking, smelling,” and “unsightly.”
According to the President, the Department of the Interior originally faced a four-year timeline and a $400 million budget for the reconstruction, which included expensive granite pavers.
Reflecting Pool (Trump Truth Social)
Trump stated he advised the department to approach the project as a “highly sophisticated swimming pool” rather than a building facade. He claims the project was ultimately finished in two weeks for approximately $5 million to $6 million.
RELATED: Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman Rips Media ‘Henpecking’ Over Trump Reflecting Pool Rehab
“The answer is a resounding, YES, and for a ‘tiny’ fraction of the cost!” Trump wrote, responding to what he described as requests from “patriots” to step in.
He pushed back against a report by David Fahrenthold of the New York Times that characterized the work as a “paint job,” instead calling it a “deeply complicated work of smart and beautiful construction” that would remain the pride of the capital for decades.
Addressing potential concerns regarding the bidding process, the President noted that he did not personally select the firm for the job.
“I didn’t give out the contract, ‘Interior’ did, to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before,” he stated.
While the President celebrated the $390 million in reported savings, he lamented the coverage from the media, specifically targeting the New York Times for being “biased” and failing to give his administration credit for the swift turnaround.
The National Park Service has not yet released an independent audit of the final costs or technical specifications of the new construction.
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