A company that previously worked for one of Donald Trump’s golf courses has been awarded a no-bid federal contract worth nearly $7 million to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, with an additional $6.2 million awarded last week, bringing the total to over $13.1 million.
The initial $6.8 million contract was awarded on April 3, followed by a $6.2 million supplemental agreement on May 8. The administration bypassed competitive bidding by citing urgency, though the nature of the potential “serious injury” to the government remains unclear.
President Trump had initially claimed the project could be done for $1.5 million by a company he described as “a guy who’s unbelievable at doing swimming pools up the road” from his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. The pool is being painted “American flag blue” ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations on July 4.
The project has drawn criticism from the Cultural Landscape Foundation, which filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the colour change violates historic preservation laws. The foundation’s president, Charles Birnbaum, said the original dark grey basin was intentional to create a reflective surface subordinate to the monuments, calling a blue tint “more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated the project is “being completed at ‘Trump Speed’” and will be “under budget and ahead of schedule.” The National Park Service defended the choice of “American Flag Blue” as enhancing the visitor experience. The pool has long suffered from leaks and algae problems.
