'The best is yet to come': Trump touts reflecting pool transformations, teases new addition

President Trump said the pool, opened in 1922, had needed constant repairs, making its restoration a priority before the nation's 250th anniversary
President Donald Trump celebrated the completion of restoration work at the Reflecting Pool and highlighted several planned projects in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump celebrated the completion of restoration work at the Reflecting Pool and highlighted several planned projects in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)


WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump touted the completion of restoration work at the Reflecting Pool while unveiling plans for a Trump Promenade, a Triumphal Arch, and a White House ballroom, describing them as major additions to Washington’s landscape.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Saturday, June 6, President Trump noted that the pool was pristine and no longer looked "disgusting." He also explained why repairs were needed.

Trump says Reflecting Pool looks 'beautiful' after restoration

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 1: Visitors to the National Mall watch the first sunrise of the new year from the edge of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with the Washington Monument in the background on January 1, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by J. David Ake/Getty Images)
Visitors to the National Mall watch the first sunrise of the new year from the edge of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with the Washington Monument in the background on January 1, 2024, in Washington, DC (J David Ake/Getty Images)

In a Truth Social post, Trump said that the restoration work had been completed and praised workers from Oklahoma, along with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, for overseeing improvements to the Reflecting Pool. He claimed the landmark, which opened in 1922, had “never functioned properly” until now.

“It was originally opened in 1922, but never functioned properly — now it does! Thank you President Trump, thank you Department of the Interior,” Trump wrote.

Trump described the planned additions as major landmarks for the nation’s capital, writing that “THE BEST IS YET TO COME” and claiming the projects would become “the Greatest Structure in Washington” once completed.

Crews spray a new blue coating on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. The repairs are part of President Trump's 'Safe and Beautiful' campaign to clean up parks and monuments in the city. (Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)
Crews spray a new blue coating on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on April 25, 2026, in Washington, DC (Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)

“The Trump Promenade at The Lincoln Memorial, and The Triumphal Arch, which will be, along with the White House Ballroom,” he wrote.

Trump says 'pool is bigger than skyscrapers'

Donald Trump, on June 3, during an executive order signing ceremony, displayed a chart titled "Our Pool Is Bigger Than Skyscrapers" to illustrate the size of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The comparison placed the landmark alongside some of the country's best-known buildings, including New York City's Empire State Building, as he argued that the project deserved the same attention as major construction efforts elsewhere.

President Donald Trump displays a graph entitled
President Donald Trump displays a graph entitled 'Our Pool is Bigger than Skyscrapers' as he speaks on his renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on June 3, 2026, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Trump said the century-old pool had required constant repairs since opening in 1922, making it a priority project ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations.

Before work began, the Reflecting Pool faced a lot of maintenance challenges, including leaks, water loss and recurring algae blooms.

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