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Snapshot 5:Mon, May 11, 2026 8:43:20 PM GMT last edited by MattKalman

Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Reflecting Pool Paint Job

Lawsuit Seeks to Stop LincolnReflecting Pool Blue Paint Job

Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Reflecting Pool Paint Job
Above: Workers at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. Image credit: Probal Rashid/LightRocket/Getty Images

The Spin


Slapping ana 'American flag blue' coat on the Lincolnreflecting Memorialpool Reflectingwould Poolturn turns a solemn national landmark into something out of a resort brochure. The pool's dark, understated basin wasn't accidental; it was engineered to create a reflective corridor connecting the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. SkippingPlus, skipping required reviews under the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act makes this renovation legally indefensible.

The Reflectingreflecting Poolpool wasis a genuine mess, with cracked foundations, broken pipes, fungus and trash — and Trump is fixing it for roughly $1.5 millionBut compared to the $34TCLA, millionwhich spentpreviously under Obama. The same nonprofit that sued to block theTrump's privatelyballroom, funded White House Ballroom is now weaponizing preservation law to stop a cost-effective renovation timed for the World Cup and the 250th national celebration. Blocking a practical, affordable fix to score political points is a disservice to every American who visits the Mall.


The Controversies



Go Deeper

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.4.1