Washington D.C.'s Reflecting Pool Renovation Finished Under Trump

The Trump administration completed a comprehensive restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. The project involved draining the pool, sand‑blasting, repairing all pipes and bubblers, and repainting the basin a flag‑blue color. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum noted that the prior Obama‑era effort spent $38 million, left the pool leaking up to 45,000 gallons per day, and failed to restore its appearance.

Social‑media users posted videos of the partially refilled pool praising the result, while some liberal commentators continued to criticize the redesign and an associated proposed arch. The renovation has been presented by administration officials as a correction of previous mismanagement and a return to the capital’s historic aesthetic.