Trump rides through Lincoln Memorial icon to check out renovation work by his ‘pool guy’

The president announced a project to resurface the iconic pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial last month

• Bookmark
• CommentsGo to comments

Bookmark popover

Removed from bookmarks

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

President Donald Trump and members of his administration made an unusual visit to the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday, driving the presidential motorcade through the empty Reflecting Pool that the president recently ordered contractors to renovate.

Last month, complaining of the state of the iconic Washington landmark, the president said his pool “guy” would resurface the Reflecting Pool with an upgraded “industrial grade” finish in “American flag blue.”

White House communications advisor Margo Martin wrote on X on Thursday that the visit to the pool was meant to “see the progress of the project and meet the hardworking team behind it.”

The president, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in tow, chatted with the Oklahoma-based painting crew working on the project, bragging about his electoral success in the state.

“We love you in Oklahoma,” one of the workers said.

“I love you guys, too,” Trump said in response.

The site of government limos cruising up the empty pool is just the latest unusual aspect of the project, part of the president’s goal to rapidly remake many of Washington’s most famous landmarks according to his tastes.

The president previously touted the project during a string of posts on Truth Social last month, alternating threats against Iran with claims the pool project would “take a fraction of that time, at a fraction of the cost — and it will be much more beautiful than the day it was built!”

Trump has said he would turn to a contractor who previously worked on his real estate projects.

“I have a guy who’s unbelievable at doing swimming pools up the road,” the president said last month.

Trump has also touted the pool with an AI image of members of his administration sitting shirtless in the Reflecting Pool with an unidentified woman in a bikini.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.

More about

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies