President Donald Trump used a government exemption to give a $6.9 million no-bid contract to his personal pool contractor to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in an ocean-blue colour, after complaining it 'never looked great.'
Urgent Exemption Used
The exemption is typically reserved for urgent situations to prevent 'serious injury, financial or other, to the government,' according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. However, Trump used it to fast-track work by Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based company, as part of broader refurbishments in Washington D.C. ahead of America's 250th birthday.
'I have a guy who's unbelievable at doing swimming pools up the road,' Trump told reporters about the project in the Oval Office last month. Usually, government contracts are awarded through a public bidding process to the vendor offering the best value.
Work Underway
Crews have already begun spraying ocean-blue paint on the 2,030-foot pool, The Independent discovered. However, experts told The Times that changing the colour is unlikely to fix long-standing problems. The pool, built on marshland, has sunk over time and faced filtration issues causing algae blooms. While the National Parks Service cleans the surface, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the green tint.
On April 3, the contract was awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which has no prior government contract work, according to The New York Times. Its website lists projects like reinforcing roofing for a power company and rehabilitating a culvert, but not pool work for Trump properties.
Political Context
'This project is now being completed at Trump speed to ensure the iconic landmark is totally restored ahead of the 250th celebrations,' White House Spokesperson Taylor Rogers told The Times. The pool upgrades are part of several Trump-directed beautification projects, including a $400 million White House ballroom facing legal challenges and a proposed triumphal arch for downtown D.C.
'Our country is about beauty, cleanliness, safety, great people. Not a filthy capital,' Trump told reporters Friday after driving across the reflecting pool in his SUV motorcade to review the paint job.
