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The $14.7 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, touted by President Trump as a centerpiece for the US 250th anniversary, has been plagued by algae blooms and peeling paint within weeks of completion, prompting Trump to blame vandals without evidence. Source: AP News, BBC
The pool is set to be drained again for repairs under warranty. Source: SCMP, BBC Trump claimed on social media that a 300-350 foot slit was cut with a knife and threatened 10-year prison sentences for damaging the pool. Source: AP News, DW News However, pool expert Steve Goodale noted that the problems likely stem from technical failures, not vandalism. Source: Wired
Arrests have been made, including former Olympic canoe racer David Hearn, who was detained for touching the peeling paint, and Christian Miles, charged with obscenity after berating guards. Source: AP News, Guardian The administration awarded a no-bid contract that escalated from $1.8 million to $14.7 million. Source: CNBC, LA Times The pool's condition has become a metaphor for broader administrative issues. Source: LA Times
“President Donald Trump said Tuesday that six people have been arrested for damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as the iconic Washington, D.C. site increasingly becomes a flashpoint over the president’s $14-million-plus rehabilitation project gone awry.”
“The DC Water authority said on Monday that it issued a permit to drain the pool, according to Reuters news agency. The repair company has said it will fix the rectangular structure as part of its warranty.”
“Pools are mercilessly complicated—and I’m talking about little ones. This is literally monumental in size. It would take a master class in technical execution to be able to work on this thing in a competent capacity.”
“US President Donald Trump threatened a '10 year prison sentence' to anyone caught vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC after the recently renovated structure lost its blue color within weeks of renovation.”
“Miles, a former US navy submariner, has made it a personal project in recent months to 'document the creeping police state' since Trump’s federal takeover of policing in Washington DC by filming himself confronting, and often berating, federal troops and officer around the city.”
“Last week, ABC reported that the cost to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool had ballooned to more than $14.65 million. This exceeded the original estimated cost of the no-bid contract — that was not awarded by competitive tender — by more than $4 million, according to federal contract data.”
“National Guard service members and U.S. Park Police patrolled the deck around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday as President Donald Trump’s administration faces a self-imposed deadline to fix a botched renovation before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.”