Trump takes motorcade into Reflecting Pool, blasts past ‘$38M disaster’ fix under Obama
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President Donald Trump visited the National Mall on Thursday, driving his motorcade through the drained Reflecting Pool to inspect a restoration project he said is correcting a “disaster” left by the Obama administration.
Standing on the pool’s floor, the president touted a $1.8 million overhaul of the landmark, contrasting it with the $38 million spent under former President Barack Obama on a project Trump described as a “construction nightmare” that leaked immediately upon completion.
The Reflecting Pool, which stretches more than 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, is one of the most visited landmarks in the nation’s capital, drawing millions of tourists each year and serving as the backdrop for historic events and presidential ceremonies.
Trump was joined by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to review the application of a new, industrial-strength sealant. Trump revealed he personally selected the color for the new surface: “American Flag Blue.”
“The color was never good because basically it had a gray stone underneath,” the president told reporters. “Now it’s going to have the great color. It’s going to last a long time and you’ll have no leak—guaranteed.”
While previous estimates to fix the 2,400-foot-long pool reached as high as $355 million over a multi-year timeline, according to prior National Park Service planning documents, Trump said his team is completing the work in two weeks for a fraction of the cost.
The National Park Service previously oversaw a major rehabilitation of the Reflecting Pool that was completed in 2012 at a cost of roughly $30 million, addressing structural issues and chronic leaking that had plagued the site for years.
WATCH: TRUMP REVEALS FLASHY NEW COLOR FOR NATIONAL MALL’S REFLECTING POOL MAKEOVER
President Donald Trump holds a photo of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool with a fence reading “We are making DC Safe & Beautiful” during a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The inspection was part of a broader “beautification” push for the nation’s capital. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the Department of the Interior has cleared more than 1,000 graffiti sites and 82 homeless camps in recent months under Trump’s direction to make the city “safe and beautiful.”
Construction on the new White House ballroom is seen from the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., on April 20, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
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“We’ve never had a president who has cared more, invested more, or put more time and attention into everything about the Mall,” Burgum said.
The president also previewed several upcoming projects, including improvements to the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft and a proposed Triumphal Arc, though details on timelines, funding, and final approvals were not immediately released.
