Trump said his handpicked pool contractor would charge $1.8 million for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The final bill is now seven times that.

President Donald Trump claimed that his handpicked contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, would charge only $1.8 million to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and paint it blue. But federal records tell a different story. The Interior Department added $6.2 million to the contract, bringing the total cost to $13.1 million – more than seven times what Trump originally stated.

According to The New York Times, the reason for the sharp cost increase is not clear. However, the Interior Department pointed to Trump’s desire to finish the work before the country’s 250th birthday on July 4 as the driving force behind the rushed timeline. The contract’s current value matches, down to the dollar, an offer submitted by Atlantic Industrial Coatings in the middle of last month, which included a 20 percent profit margin.

The government awarded the contract without competitive bidding, citing the urgency of the situation as the reason for skipping the usual process of seeking competing offers. Competitive bidding laws exist to make sure the government gets a fair price from its vendors, and bypassing them has drawn criticism from many observers.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool lawsuit highlights deep concerns about historic preservation and government accountability

The pool has been dealing with leaks and algae growth for decades, and the current project aims to repair leaking joints and waterproof the pool’s bottom. But a lawsuit filed by The Cultural Landscape Foundation on Monday claims that the Trump administration ignored a law requiring advance review of projects that change historic landmarks. 

According to FOX 5 DC, the foundation argues that every day the resurfacing continues, the historic character of the Reflecting Pool is being further and permanently altered. The lawsuit also takes issue with the new blue color applied to the pool’s basin. 

The Reflecting Pool was originally designed with a dark grey color to create a mirror-like reflection between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. The Interior Department has defended the change, saying the dark navy color will actually improve reflections in the pool, but the foundation disputes this. 

Trump has been making several high-profile moves lately, and his administration’s announcement of an election integrity army for the 2026 midterms has drawn similar scrutiny from critics. As Charles Birnbaum, the president of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, said, “This lawsuit is about protecting the historic character of one of America’s most important public spaces.” 

The foundation argues that the project is flawed and will not achieve its intended goals, even as the Interior Department defends it as an improvement to the visitor experience. The project’s timeline is aggressive, with the Trump administration aiming to finish before July 4 and the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

The Reflecting Pool has gone through renovations before, including one in 2012 during former President Barack Obama’s time in office. But this current overhaul has stirred far more debate, largely due to the cost increase, the no-bid contract, and the legal challenge over historic preservation rules. 

This comes as the administration has also been making news on other fronts, with Space Force closely monitoring Iran’s nuclear sites drawing attention in recent weeks. The outcome of the lawsuit will carry weight beyond just this project.

It could set a precedent for how the government handles future work on historic landmarks, and whether proper review processes can be bypassed in the name of speed or political deadlines. For now, the fate of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool remains uncertain as the case moves through the courts.