Conservative social media accounts claimed the news had unfairly criticized Trump’s repairs while staying quiet on Obama’s.
Image courtesy of Andrew Harnik, accessed via Getty Images
In May 2026, posts on social media sites claimed the news media was unfairly criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to repair Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, situated between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
The posts compared Trump’s ongoing repair efforts, projected to cost at least $13 million, with a reconstruction during former President Barack Obama’s administration that cost around $35 million and failed to fully address the pool’s issues.
Snopes readers searched the site for more details on the two projects.
Comparing the total costs of renovating the reflecting pool between Trump’s and Obama’s administrations isn’t appropriate for several reasons:
It would be ideal to compare the final costs of both projects. However, because the work during Trump’s presidency is ongoing, there is only an estimated final cost for the current repairs. The accuracy of Trump’s estimated cost is also unclear, as the budget has risen from $1.8 million to $13.1 million according to The New York Times.
Additionally, reports indicated that the reconstruction of the pool during the Obama era was more complex than what the Trump administration has planned, justifying a higher cost. Even if the repairs under Obama did not effectively address the pool’s issues.
Moreover, the focus of media attention on Trump’s renovations has been on the administration’s disregard for the standard review process required by law for such projects, rather than the costs. In contrast, the Obama-era project that went through standard review channels still faced media criticism post-completion for not adequately resolving the underlying issues.
What’s wrong with the reflecting pool?
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, completed in 1923 and maintained by the National Parks Service, has encountered numerous challenges throughout its century-long existence.
Built on soft ground in Washington, D.C.’s marshy area without a strong support structure, the pool’s foundation sank about a foot over its first 80 years due to its large water capacity of approximately 6,750,000 gallons, equivalent to about 10 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Prior to the Obama-era reconstruction, the pool’s structural system had been deteriorating for years, causing significant leakage up to 30 million gallons annually due to a cracked bottom, drawing water from Washington’s city reserves.
The Obama-era project
The Obama administration undertook a comprehensive reconstruction of the entire pool, including adding a new support structure, concrete walkways, nocturnal illumination, and replacing the pumping system. The change in water source to the Tidal Basin aimed to remedy the algae issues.
The project underwent environmental reviews and approval from the Commission of Fine Arts, mandated to review designs in certain Washington areas like the National Mall.
Post-reconstruction, the redeveloped pool faced algae problems due to warm water conditions conducive to algal growth. The redesign included a new pumping system with filtration and disinfection measures to control the algae and bacterial growth in the water. Despite these efforts, the algae issues persisted post-reconstruction.
The failed reconstruction under Obama’s administration incurred a cost of at least $35 million.
In efforts to address the pool’s ongoing problems, National Parks Service officials in both Trump’s and Biden’s administrations developed a three-fold plan: sealing concrete joints, upgrading the water purification system, and replacing damaged pipes. However, due to unexpectedly high repair costs, the pool is drained yearly to maintain cleanliness.
The Trump-era project
As of May 15, 2026, the Trump administration has contracted parts of the repair plan, facing more media scrutiny. However, the focus of the scrutiny has been on the methodology rather than the repair costs.
The administration granted a $6.9 million contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings for concrete joint sealing, waterproof coating application, and painting the pool bottom blue, later increased to $13.1 million. Trump’s claims about the company’s background have varied.
The administration bypassed standard practices to appoint a contractor, generating criticisms. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stressed urgency in completing the project before the U.S.’ 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, despite observable delays.
Trump’s administration also awarded a $1.7 million contract for water purification system upgrades, while neglecting immediate plumbing repair.
