Opposition in full uproar over Trump fixing Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool for less than half price Obama spent on similar project

A rendering of what the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will look like when renovations are complete.

Democrats, the media, and advocacy groups have gone into full meltdown in opposition of President Donald Trump's actions to renovate the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool ahead of the nation's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026.

As was so often the case during the first year of Trump's second term, an advocacy group is attempting to obstruct the renovation of the reflecting pool by filing a lawsuit to stop work on the project. The Cultural Landscape Foundation on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Interior Department and National Park Service on the grounds that the Trump administration is "altering the historic character of the Reflecting Pool without following Congressionally mandatory procedures" and accused the administration of committing a "desecration" of the iconic landmark. Original construction started on the reflecting pool in 1922 and was completed in 1923, according to AFP.

The renovations ordered by the president include fixes to the pool's leaky infrastructure as well as new paint, in American Flag Blue, for the bottom of the pool that is expected to give the pool a clean, blue look at all times. The swampy look of the pool has bedeviled previous presidents, who have tried to fix it. Often, the pool is covered in algae and looks positively unappealing, particularly during the warmer months of the year. Trump posted on social media this week a rendering of what the completed project will look like along with another image showing workers applying the blue paint. 

The cost of the project will be $13.1 million, a figure that's substantially higher than the initial $1.8 million price tag. The New York Times published a story on Monday complaining about the increased costs associated with completing the project by July 4.  Trump blasted the story on Tuesday in a post on Truth Social, saying the Times was "biased" and ignored the fact that Obama and Biden spent roughly $55 million on restorations that didn't work.

He also said the story mischaracterized the extent of the renovations, which he said are extensive and meant to avoid a full replacement of the reflecting pool, which would cost $400 million and take about four years to complete. 

Workers painting the Reflecting Pool 'American Flag Blue.'

The Times story contained no negative coverage mentioning the Obama and Biden administrations attempts to fix the reflecting pools myriad problems. Between 2010 and 2012, the Obama administration spent upwards of $35 million renovating the reflecting pool. An earlier story by the Times, however, did mention Obama's failed and costly attempt at repairs. "The pool was green and matted within a month," the story read, adding that the pool "still leaks 16 million gallons of water a year." The $35 million cost in 2010 translates to more than $53 million in 2026 dollars, adjusted for inflation.

Indeed, news reports at the time showed tourists unimpressed with results. One woman said, just a month after the renovations were completed in 2012, "It looks like nothing was done. It's real nasty." Trump in his post on Truth predicted a brighter future for the restored pool. "It won’t leak, it will shine, and be the pride of Washington D.C. for decades to come," the president said. Below, watch a clip from a local news report from 2012 showing people's reactions to the renovations at the time.