President Donald Trump announced a $2 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, completed in one week, significantly under the projected $301 million cost over three years. The project includes a new 'American flag blue' coating to replace a leaking granite surface. Trump contrasted the renovation with a $32 million Obama-era project in 2012, which involved more extensive structural changes.
The president discussed the renovation during two Oval Office events on Thursday, where he also addressed unrelated topics, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 speech at the site and his own 2019 Fourth of July event. Trump claimed his event drew a larger crowd than King's, though historical estimates suggest King's audience was around 250,000 compared to Trump's much smaller 2019 gathering.
The renovation follows other Washington, DC beautification efforts under Trump, including the demolition of the White House's East Wing to make way for a ballroom. The ballroom project faces legal challenges and has been delayed. Trump also mentioned a potential taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines during the events.