Trending Now - Trump Shifts Stance on Controversial Reflecting Pool Project

WHO:

Alternet - President Donald Trump

Alternet - Interior Secretary Doug Burgum

Yahoo - Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado

Yahoo - MS NOW’s Steve Benen

Yahoo - The New York Times’ David A. Farenthold and Maxine Joselow

WHAT:

Alternet - The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation is facing a new lawsuit.

Alternet - The cost of the renovation has climbed to $13.1 million, which is more than seven times the original cost.

Alternet - Trump stated, “I didn’t give out the contract, ‘Interior’ did, to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before.”

Yahoo - Interior Secretary Doug Burgum faced questions from House Democrats regarding the project, and his answers were deemed insufficient.

Yahoo - Burgum claimed that several fountains across Washington, D.C., that were not functioning justified the no-bid contract for the Reflecting Pool renovation.

Alternet - The cost of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation has risen to $13.1 million, more than seven times the original cost.

Alternet - Trump is now claiming he “didn’t give out the contract, ‘Interior’ did, to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before.”

Yahoo - Interior Department staff members have raised concerns about the quality and speed of the repair work, noting that bubbles and small holes have appeared in the waterproofing layer, and the tinted waterproofing has been applied unevenly, causing a mottled appearance.

Alternet - Trump is backing away from the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool.

Alternet - The project is facing a new lawsuit and the cost has risen to $13.1 million, more than seven times the original cost.

Yahoo - Trump previously claimed he had a direct role in selecting a contractor for the project.

Yahoo - Trump has changed his narrative, now stating he did not give out the contract, but that the "Interior" did.

Yahoo - Concerns have been raised about the quality and speed of the repair work on the Reflecting Pool.

WHERE:

Alternet - Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Washington, D.C.

WHEN:

Yahoo - Trump made claims about his involvement in the project in an official White House video and repeated them in a subsequent statement.

WHY:

Yahoo - The justification for the no-bid contract was based on a claim that a bureaucratic delay would cause "serious injury" to the government, which was questioned by Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado.

Alternet - The project is facing scrutiny due to a no-bid contract that circumvented federal procurement laws.

Yahoo - The justification for the no-bid contract was based on a claim that a bureaucratic delay would cause "serious injury" to the government.

HOW:

Alternet - The Trump administration has used numerous no-bid contracts to expedite projects in time for the country's 250th anniversary this summer.

Alternet - The Trump administration has used numerous no-bid contracts to "emphasize speed over cost reductions" for projects aimed to be completed in time for the country's 250th anniversary.

Alternet - The project has been criticized for having bubbles and small holes in the waterproofing layer and uneven application of tinted waterproofing, resulting in a mottled appearance.

(UPDATED May 14, 2026 17:34 UTC)

The renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is now facing a lawsuit, with costs soaring to $13.1 million, which is more than seven times the original estimate. Trump stated that he did not award the contract, asserting that it was given by the Interior Department to a contractor he had never worked with before. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the no-bid contract by citing the need to address several non-functioning fountains across Washington, D.C., but faced criticism from House Democrats for his insufficient answers.

(UPDATED May 14, 2026 15:46 UTC)

The cost of the renovation for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has skyrocketed to $13.1 million, which is more than seven times the original estimate. Trump is now asserting that he did not award the contract, claiming it was given by the Interior Department to a contractor he was unfamiliar with, while concerns have been raised about the quality of the repair work, including issues with the waterproofing layer. The justification for this no-bid contract was based on a claim that delays would result in "serious injury" to the government, a point that has been questioned by Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado.

(UPDATED May 14, 2026 07:52 UTC)

President Trump is stepping back from the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool, which is now facing a lawsuit and has seen costs soar to $13.1 million, more than seven times its original budget. Initially, Trump claimed he played a direct role in selecting the contractor for the project, but he has since shifted his narrative, stating that the "Interior" department was responsible for the contract. Concerns about the quality of the repair work have emerged, with reports of bubbles and small holes in the waterproofing layer, leading to a mottled appearance.