Questions grow over Trump’s $14 million Reflecting Pool revamp

A spokesman said the people cited over damage at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool would have to appear in court later, but gave no further details and no records are available. That silence has sharpened scrutiny around the federal revamp of the more than 2,000-foot landmark between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Donald Trump has said six people were arrested and another seven cited, but the only verified arrest is of a man who touched already-peeling paint.

The Reflecting Pool is one of Washington’s most visible public spaces and one of its most loaded symbols. Built in the 1920s, it reopened after a major reconstruction in August 2012, and it also marks the setting near which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. That history has made the new work a test not just of preservation standards, but of how federal authorities handle enforcement and disclosure on the National Mall.

In April, Trump announced a revamp he said would cost between $1.5 million and $2 million. Federal spending records later showed at least $14.8 million in contracts had been awarded for the project, while the Trump administration said the work cost around $14 million. Democratic lawmakers have pressed for answers about both the work and the use of no-bid contracts, and preservation advocates have filed suit arguing that the project changed the historic character of the site without proper review or public notice.

The pool was refilled in early June after resurfacing was completed, but the problems did not stop there. Algae quickly returned, and the National Park Service began treating the water with hydrogen peroxide and nanobubbles. By mid-June, parts of the new “American Flag Blue” coating were also appearing to peel away, adding to criticism from visitors and preservation groups who questioned the workmanship and the cost.

The dispute has now moved beyond paint and water quality to the records behind the enforcement actions. Federal court filings show the Interior Department was ordered on May 21 to provide updates on the challenged project, while the lack of basic citation records has left unanswered who was cited, for what conduct and under what authority. As Washington heads into next week’s 250th anniversary celebrations, the Reflecting Pool has become a public test of transparency as much as of restoration.