Former President Donald Trump has set his sights on another iconic Washington D.C. landmark, declaring his intention to radically transform the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and remove what he labels 'Biden filth and incompetence'.
A Grandiose Announcement
The revelation came via a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, 27 November 2025. Accompanied by a dramatic 30-second video set to Andrea Bocelli's operatic piece 'Time to Say Goodbye', the clip showcased the pool's current state, focusing on leaves, grime, and its swamp-green hue. The footage also included visible signs warning visitors to stay out of the water and showed cleaners attempting to scrub the murky contents.
"This is the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool before Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and I fix it," Trump wrote. "Study it hard because you won't be seeing this Biden filth and incompetence much longer!" The video was captioned with his new slogan for the capital: "Make D.C. Beautiful Again."
A Historic Site in the Crosshairs
The reflecting pool targeted by Trump is no ordinary site. Finished in 1923, it is the largest of its kind in Washington and stands as one of the city's most photographed and revered vistas. Its historical significance is profound, having served as the backdrop for Martin Luther King Jr.'s legendary 'I Have a Dream' speech. According to the National Park Service, it attracted an estimated 8.5 million visitors last year alone.
While the precise details of Trump's plan for the pool remain unclear, his actions during his second term demonstrate a willingness to overhaul cherished national icons. This announcement follows the highly controversial demolition of the historic White House East Wing last month. That project, to make way for a privately-funded $300 million ballroom, was widely criticised.
A Pattern of Major Changes
The decision to tear down the East Wing, a space traditionally associated with the First Lady, drew sharp rebukes, including from former First Lady Michelle Obama. She stated that to "denigrate it, to tear it down, to pretend like it doesn't matter" reflected a poor attitude towards the role.
In a surprising admission, Trump later told Fox News that the demolition was not structurally necessary. "I could've built the ballroom around it," he conceded, "I didn't want to sacrifice a great ballroom for an okay ballroom by leaving it right smack in the middle."
The reflecting pool is not the only ambitious project on Trump's radar for the nation's capital. His administration has also announced intentions to construct a massive Arc de Triomphe-style arch opposite the Lincoln Memorial, pave over Jackie Kennedy's famous rose garden, and add golden embellishments to the Oval Office. As of now, The Independent's requests for comment from the White House and the Department of the Interior have not been answered.
