Let’s Get to the Bottom of Trump’s Expensive, No-Bid Contracts for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Public Citizen filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding the Trump administration’s contracts to paint the base of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue and install a water-purification system——work that has ballooned to cost taxpayers $13.1 million, more than seven times the $1.8 million the president publicly promised.
The FOIA requests dig into the communications and contract details between the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service with two companies hired to repair the Reflecting Pool – Atlantic Industrial Coatings and Greenwater Services.
According to The New York Times, the National Park Service awarded Atlantic Industrial Coatings a no-bid contract on April 3, 2026, after President Donald J. Trump publicly stated he had “a guy who’s unbelievable at doing swimming pools.” Trump also claimed he had consulted three companies that had previously worked on his personal swimming pools before choosing one that had worked at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
“The Trump administration continues to start reckless pet projects like the White House ballroom, a 250-foot arch blocking historic views, and now painting the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. These vanity projects are being rushed with no oversight, no transparency and no input from the American people. When it comes to the reflecting pool, Trump’s snazzy blue paint scheme means that the pool is now unlikely to actually reflect. A sad transparency metaphor.” said Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen co-President.
Zach Everson, Public Citizen researcher who filed the FOIA requests, added, “While everyday Americans struggle to afford their basic necessities, the Trump administration has no problem spending their tax dollars on these ridiculous projects that come with hefty price tags and impact historical sites. What’s worse is Trump is using his personal connections to give no-bid contracts on behalf of government agencies. Despite what Trump thinks, the District is not his personal playground.”