Trump inspects Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s ‘American flag blue’ makeover

President Donald Trump made an evening visit  to inspect renovations underway at the iconic Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The president first previewed the project last month in a series of Truth Social posts and AI-generated images showing himself and members of his administration lounging beside a bright blue reflecting pool.

Trump arrived at the National Mall site in a motorcade that drove directly through the drained reflecting pool, where workers are applying what the president has described as an 'American flag blue' industrial-grade coating. 'It never had the color people wanted, but now it’s going to have the great color,' Trump said, standing in the pool surrounded by some of his Cabinet secretaries, including Doug Burgum of Interior and Markwayne Mullin of Homeland Security.

Trump directly addressed the workers at the site, at times seen shaking hands with them. The reflecting pool renovation comes ahead of preparations for the nation’s upcoming America 250 celebrations in 2026, events expected to place Washington’s monuments and public spaces at the center of nationwide commemorations. Trump has repeatedly linked the project to those festivities, presenting the restoration as part of a larger effort to prepare the capital for increased global attention.

Trump's motorcade drove on the empty pool, which had undergone major repairs before, including a large National Park Service reconstruction completed in 2012 that modernized its water systems and infrastructure. However, Trump argued the site remained unattractive and poorly maintained, repeatedly criticizing the pool’s gray stone appearance and algae buildup. "It’s really beautiful, and it’s going to be fantastic," Trump told reporters.

Trump said he rejected a federal proposal that he claimed would have cost about $350 million and taken years to finish, instead choosing a $1.9 million renovation that will take less than two weeks. The visit also had broader political significance. The renovation has become part of Trump’s larger campaign to visually remake Washington during his second term, following other controversial proposals related to the White House, the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and other federal buildings.